13 years after losing her leg,blast victim walks into medical college

Asna’s right leg had to be amputated at the knee. After 86 days in the hospital,she returned home with a prosthetic leg.

Over the years,Asna has used at least 13 artificial legs. “In the initial years,the prosthesis had to be changed within three or four months to catch up with my growth. Later,it became a yearly occurrence. The present leg,costing Rs 80,000,was fixed two months ago,’’ says Asna.

Asna says that usually after fixing a new prosthesis,the stump of the leg would bleed inside it. “It takes at least two months for my amputated part to get familiar with the prosthesis. However,I never abstained from class on account of the pain,’’ says she,now aged 18. “The pain makes me strong and determined,” she adds.

Asna’s father,K Nanu,made many sacrifices to ensure that she continued with her education. After the bomb attack,he shut down the small tea shop he was running at the village because he was engaged in carrying his daughter to and from school. While she was studying in class X at a school distant from her home,Nanu rented a house near the school.

Asna says she began to dream of becoming a doctor many years ago. “The tragedy has not brought me down in life. In fact,the dream to become a doctor stemmed from the pain I had been suffering for years. I want to be a government doctor,serving ordinary people without collecting any extra fee,” she declares.