Triumphing over tragedy: Chandigarh Spinal rehab transforms lives

Rehabilitation is crucial for patients with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and congenital conditions like cerebral palsy to address paralysis. But it requires a lot of time and effort. The Sector 28 based Chandigarh Spinal Rehab is one of the few centres in the country specializing in neurological rehabilitation, leading many people to travel long distances, to improve their condition and regain some semblance of independence.

When Asmit came to the Centre from Darjeeling in 2020, he was 15 years old. On the night of May 12, he woke up at gunpoint to an armed robbery. The feisty youngster saved his grandmother and drove away two robbers. Unfortunately, a third robber shot him from behind. “The bullet passed through my lungs, the spinal cord and got stuck in the liver,” recounts Asmit. He underwent 15 surgeries in Calcutta before coming for rehabilitation, which took seven months. Now, four years later, he works as a peer trainer at the Centre, providing guidance and support to those who have suffered similar fates. The youth whose parents never let him lose hope aims to study computer science and engineering and scored well in JEE mains.

“Rehabilitation of an individual is not just an individual effort, often it takes a family,” says Nicky Kaur, founder of Chandigarh Spinal Rehab. This holds true for individuals like Shweta, a 29-year-old mother of two who sustained a head injury from a motorcycle accident while saving her six-month-old. After being operated on in PGI, Shweta was bedridden until she came to the Centre. Every day for the past three months, Shweta’s father-in-law has brought her in for physical therapy to regain her balance and coordination. Now she is more cognizant, can speak a few words, and can be left unattended for some duration without falling. “When the accident happened, we did not know this would happen so suddenly,” said her father-in-law. In the face of tragedy, her husband and in-laws continue to stand by her. They know rehabilitation may take a while, but continue in the hope that she will recover. Vishakha, who heads her therapy, beams, “She has a long way to go, but has come a long way too.”

On the bed adjacent to Shweta is Onish, a cheeky 7-year-old carrying out the exercise of matching colours. Onish has had cerebral palsy since birth, resulting in delayed milestones like neck-holding, sitting, and walking. After consulting more than ten doctors in the city, his parents were referred to this centre for physiotherapy. Since starting at the Centre four months ago, his balance has improved greatly. “He’s 7 years old, and in 7 years he’s walked by himself for the first time after coming to this centre,” said Onish’s father, happy with the progress his son is making. The Rehab Centre caters to patients of all ages, from young Onish to 68-year-old Kumad, who suffered a stroke last November. She has come in consistently with her husband for the past month and a half and is currently working on regaining strength on the left side of her body. Her husband maintains a positive attitude and hopes for her recovery in a few months. “We are enjoying our life together,” he said, staying by her side throughout physiotherapy.

Then, there is Sandeep Singh. After being bedridden for two years due to a gunshot injury in the lower region of his spinal cord, he travelled all the way to Chandigarh Spinal Rehab from West Bengal for rehabilitation.

He came here on a stretcher five years ago. He completed his rehabilitation in three months, and today, he operates a wheelchair and drives his tri-scooter from the Centre in Sector 28 to his workplace in Mohali. Sandeep has gained a new identity as a vocalist in ‘Flowing Karma’, India’s first band on wheelchairs created by the Rehab Centre. Over the past few years, the band has performed in several shows inside and outside the tri-city. “At home, they used to say I can’t do anything anymore, but today I can touch the sky,” smiles Sandeep.

The Centre fosters a sense of camaraderie between individuals dealing with disability and the staff that works with them. The Centre relies heavily on funding from the corporate sector and donations from philanthropists to organize activities like movies or swimming to remind them life goes on, wheelchair-bound or not. As Nicky Kaur says, “This helps them expand their definition of a successful rehabilitation, and opens them up to possibilities rather than limitations.”