What do you do when one fine day in this beautiful journey of life, you suddenly meet an unfortunate accident and both your legs are paralyzed for life? Crib on your destiny? File a case ? Blame God ? Seek spiritual elevation ? Not sure what I would have done...but Ms Rajalakshmi thanked God for this tragedy and made this handicap as a reason to succeed...Dream On...
"If had to live someone else's life, I would wish to re-live my own life."
That was the answer of Dr Rajalakshmi, when she was asked whose life she wanted to live, at the Miss Wheelchair-2014. The auditorium erupted in applause. This pageant was organised by NGOs working in the disability arena.
What a lady and What a Response !! Hats off !!
She is so happy with her current life, and feels so blessed, that she wants to live this life all over again. How many of us would do that? Not many.
Rajalakshmi is a qualified surgeon who cleared her Master of Dental Surgery (MDS - Orthodontics) and topped in her course with a gold medal.
“After having topped the Examination, the professors wanted me to present some papers at the National Conference and I was on my way to that event when I met with the accident,” recalls this Bangalorean lady.
She was on her way to Tamil Nadu for a conference in 2007 when her car met with an accident, resulting in severe damage to her spinal cord and she was left a paraplegic (both her lower limbs are paralysed) for life.
And for those of you who have no experience of interacting with any physically handicapped, let me assure you that it is an extremely difficult life to live in our society. It is another matter that she has not let the impairment affect her in any adverse way. For the first six months after the accident, she was barely able to sit on her own. She was so disgusted with the idea of using a wheelchair that she rejected it for that period. “I later realized that if I keep saying no to the wheelchair, I would have to be stuck at one place, something which I could not have afforded. Today the wheelchair is my best friend,” says Rajalakshmi.
Her family supported her but she did not get much help from the people around. All they would say is ‘Ayyo, you met with an accident’, and do nothing much to support her thereafter.
“That irritated me a lot. Disabled people don’t need people’s sympathy or empathy, they just need your support. If you can't give them that support, don’t discourage them at least.”
Her family supported her but she did not get much help from the people around. All they would say is ‘Ayyo, you met with an accident’, and do nothing much to support her thereafter.
“That irritated me a lot. Disabled people don’t need people’s sympathy or empathy, they just need your support. If you can't give them that support, don’t discourage them at least.”
But throw me bricks and I would turn them to gold and give it back to you...harder. This is what she has always believed in.
It was from a very early age that Rajalakshmi wanted to become a doctor. Having seen both her doctor parents run a clinic in the same building as their home, Rajalakshmi modeled herself on them. “The people there used to call them devaru (God in Kannada) as they saved lives. Her dad passed away when she was in Std 10
Once, Rajalakshmi took her battle against nepotism to the High Court, when she was denied a job in her college even though she was a rank holder. She approached the High Court and the court finally directed the college to consider her under the merit and PH quota.
It was from a very early age that Rajalakshmi wanted to become a doctor. Having seen both her doctor parents run a clinic in the same building as their home, Rajalakshmi modeled herself on them. “The people there used to call them devaru (God in Kannada) as they saved lives. Her dad passed away when she was in Std 10
Once, Rajalakshmi took her battle against nepotism to the High Court, when she was denied a job in her college even though she was a rank holder. She approached the High Court and the court finally directed the college to consider her under the merit and PH quota.
However, her dreams were soaring by now. That's what dreamers are made of. They extract energy from all the negativity around them.
She wanted to be in the fashion industry. She was passionate about fashion designing and wanted to be a model. Her aspirations to become a model took her to the national platform of Miss Wheelchair, where over 250 contestants from all over India participated.
"I went through the website and prepared a three-minute video. I got a call from them by August that I had been selected and started preparing for it. I worked out in the gym and also started a formal diet."
She pursued fashion designing and also designed her own clothes for the contest. The competition was judged by famous personalities including film director Nagesh Kukunoor. "He told me that he had no doubt of who would win the first prize as I had rocked all the rounds," Rajalakshmi smiles.
Rajalakshmi added that through the contest, she felt as though she was representing lakhs of people who are disabled. She stays in Girinagar with her family and has her own dental clinic in Srinagar. She is also a trained classical and western dancer.
"I am what I am today because of a life-threatening accident. I am blessed to lead two lives, one of a normal person and the other of a disabled, in one lifetime itself” says Dr Rajalakshmi S J because she believes that had it not been for her disability, she would not have known the challenges faced by a disabled person.
Thank God that she had to go through this accident and this pain in life. Because it is the pain that can elevate your life to unprecedented heights, it is the pain that builds you up. ~ Dream On (the book)
Are you ready to Dream On in life, and get set to lead an extraordinary life?
Catch hold of this epic story of a dreamer, catch hold of the book.. Dream On.
Catch hold of this epic story of a dreamer, catch hold of the book.. Dream On.
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Cheers
Manoj Arora
Stay happy.... always !!
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