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Journalism of Courage
I still remember the day when a family brought in a bright looking girl and asked for my help. They had various apprehensions, for Parul was suffering episodes of fits.
Parul had put it down to stress of exams. But all of them were in shock when I told them that it was epilepsy, occurring due to some chemical imbalance in the brain.
Her mother’s instant reaction was to ban school. The biggest worry, of course, was her marriage.
The parents would often come and ask about the future of their daughter.
It was during one of those counselling sessions that Parul told me that she had big aspirations. “I want to study and want to spend my life like other normal children,” she said, “only you can convince my parents.”
That was no easy task. She had suffered attacks in school during the lecture and the parents were just not ready to let her to step out of the house.
It was an unusual thing for me to speak to a family on such personal matters.
Still, I spoke to the parents. In fact, I spoke to them again and again till one day, her mother, Mamta, broke down. “I don’t want my daughter to become a source of entertainment for the children,” she sobbed.
I told her that I had already had a word with the teachers and Parul’s friends. Mamta finally agreed. To give her daughter the best care, she had already quit her job.
It was a wonderful day when Parul went back to school once again. On her way back, she came to thank me. I was more than happy to see her happy.
Mamta now understands that epilepsy is like any other physical illness and not a supernatural episode, which can be treated with medicines and adequate sleep.
As for Parul, she has been a part of all social and cultural functions in the family. She goes out with friends and even enjoys the extra attention from her elder sister and brother. She is much better now with the help of regular medication. And the worst that happens is an occasional scolding from her mother when she is caught studying late in the night.
Parul is one of the few fortunates who have managed to lead a full life despite the “epileptic” tag. These days, she comes to me for career advice and I do hope that she would one day achieve her ambition. It would be a happy day for me.
