A spirited goodbye

It all started in September 1996, when she was barely 17. She secured 92 per cent in her higher secondary examination and got admission into electronics engineering at the Walchand College, Sangli. But she was keen on medicine.

In September 1996, Sonia complained of a slight backache. The reports showed that everything was normal. The backache subsided in a few days. She used to play badminton, ride a scooter and jog. Any of these activities could have caused the sprain, or so we thought.

In October 1996, Sonia got admission into an MBBS course at the D.Y. Patil Medical College, Kolhapur. She went to Kolhapur one Monday and returned during the weekend complaining of weakness in her left leg. While she had no difficulty walking, she needed support to climb the stairs. We consulted a neurophysician and he advised a diagnosis. There seemed to be pressure on the nerves of her lower extremities.

We took her to Pune to consult Dr. Charu Apte, an eminent neurosurgeon. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI revealed a large tumour in her spinal cord, extending from the thoracic eighth vertebra to the second lumbar vertebra. This unexpected news stunned everybody. Apte advised her a 15-day course of steroids and asked to repeat her MRI at the Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai.

Sonia had no difficulty with her daily activities. She went to college with her mother to attend the classes. Her professors and other doctors in the college never suspected her disease.

After 15 days, the MRI at Hinduja Hospital confirmed the prognosis. Being a medical student herself, she was explained everything by Apte. 8220;This is not cancer. This is a benign tumour. Such tumours, when they occur in the breast or the uterus, can be removed completely by removing the organ itself. But in your case, unfortunately, the tumour is in the spinal cord. We cannot remove it completely because it risks injury to the spinal cord. So we will try to remove it as much as possible. The rest will require radiotherapy.8221;

On December 27, 1996, she was operated upon at the Pune Institute of Neurology. Going into the operation theatre, she put her thumb up, smiled and said, 8220;I will fight.8221;

After the surgery, she was taken into the intensive care unit. Death was a common phenomenon in the unit. Even in such an atmosphere, Sonia would keep smiling. She was also very popular with the nurses, doctors and staff. After being discharged, she was referred to the Inlaks amp; Budhrani Hospital for radiotherapy.

Daily, for about one minute, Sonia had to go inside the radiotherapy machine. After the operation, she had developed weakness in her legs. Thirty-five days of radiotherapy later, she was advised rigorous physiotherapy for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening everyday. After this, Sonia gradually developed strength in her legs and was able to walk with an elbow-crutch support on the right side.

Apte encouraged her to join the MBBS course with the 1997 batch. D.Y. Patil College is a five-storeyed building whereas the Government Medical College at Miraj is a single-storeyed building and is very close to our place. So Sonia sent an application for transfer from Kolhapur to Miraj. She sent letters to the Medical Council and ministers. Everybody was kind enough to recommend the transfer, but final answer from Medical Council was: 8220;In the second year of MBBS, five transfers are allowed from one medical college to the other. So after you pass the first year of MBBS, you can apply on health grounds.8221; Sonia said, 8220;Give me a transfer now. In the second year, I will be able to climb the stairs with ease. But the actual difficulty is now. I will not need a transfer in the second year.8221; But the supplications were in vain. Sonia had to climb the stairs four to five times a day. And yet, she was happy, attending lectures, faring well and moving ahead like a champion.

But destiny played its cruel hand again. The good times lasted just three weeks. One day, she noticed that she could not move her legs much. In fact, she had to use a wheelchair in a week8217;s time. She was unable to stand, let alone walk. We rushed to Pune immediately.

Apte examined her, this time with some anxiety. Again she went through the MRI. It revealed that despite the treatment, the tumour was growing. Since a second operation was out of question, Sonia was given a repeat course of radiation with steroids.

After the course, we came to Sangli. Sonia was on steroids now and was showing improvement daily. She said, 8220;Though my legs are not working at present, my hands are all right. I want to learn computers.8221; One girl started coming home daily to teach her. Sonia enrolled her name for the computer diploma course at Walchand College. The professors agreed to come home for the lessons. We got books and practical kits for her. But destiny intervened again.

Sonia had been on steroids for a long period now. She was showing its side-effects now 8211; weight gain, increase in B.P. and blood sugar. The steroids had to be stopped. So we reduced the dose but Sonia8217;s condition started worsening. Her paralysis level started increasing. She had already lost power in her legs but now she felt weakness and loss of sensation in the abdomen, chest and upper limbs. She was unable to press the keys and operate the mouse of the computer.

So her studies, computer course, poetry writing 8211; everything became impossible. Sonia faced it bravely. She said, 8220;My legs are not working, my hands are immobile, but I still have my voice. I will continue my English Speaking Course. I also want to learn classical music.8221; So we contacted a music teacher who started coming to our home.

Sonia8217;s tumour now started growing towards the brain stem. She had difficulty swallowing and breathing. We took her to Apte again. Her MRI showed increased intracranial tension and pressure on the cervical portion of the spinal cord and brainstem. Apte performed two operations in December 1998 but it was a losing battle.

We brought her to Sangli. Sonia8217;s condition continued to deteriorate. She was unable to swallow, so we put a nasal tube for feeding. She was unable to hold her neck. Breathing was possible only when the neck was positioned at a particular angle. Suction had to be performed on her mouth and throat continuously to prevent the saliva from entering respiratory tract. On January 20, her battle ended. Sonia breathed her last. She was 19.

Sonia fought the two-year battle with exceptional courage. She was sure that God would help her. God probably helped her by taking her life and preventing her from living like a vegetable. Some say she has gone to a better world. But we only know that we have lost our daughter, for no fault of hers.

Thanks to Sonia, two blind persons can now see. Her eyes were donated. Her courage, positive attitude and acceptance of the disease should serve as a guideline for such terminal patients.