Monish

MonishYoungest in India to suffer a spinal cord injury – at the age of 10 months

Monish had not even started to stand comfortably, forget walking. He was all of 10 months when his family was traveling in the outskirts of Chennai on a two-wheeler. A gruesome road accident led to the death of Monish’s mother. His young brother (probably about 2 then) had an injury on the head, but he was somehow quickly restored though he still has disorientation at times. Monish was too young for the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) to even make any sense to him.

Monish was on a hospital-to-hospital trip in Chennai without going anywhere. Inevitably the frail body of the young Monsih suffered bedsores. His dad, who works as a driver, somehow managed to keep Monish going, while his other son started schooling. Almost five years passed. The Monish’s dad, Parthiban, came into touch with Suresh Krishna, a grassroots worker in the cause of spinal cord injury.

This led to Parthiban attending the third annual meeting of SCI persons in Chennai. It took a few more months of persuasion before the family agreed to consider rehabilitation in Christian Medical College, Vellore.

During the five years since Monish’s injury, Parthiban married a widow nurse with two children and became the father of four, despite acute economic challenges and the condition of Monish. The mother made a huge difference as she took good care of Monish and started to help contain his pressures sores.

In 2014, Monish has spent almost two-and-half months at CMC, Vellore and Mary Verghese Institute of Rehabilitation. His contractures straightened, his bedsores healed, he is now mobile on a wheelchair that whizzes around, his frail body notwithstanding He is also set to go to school this year. We wish Monish and his family the very best.