From Abandonment to Abundant Joy

Life has dealt 70-year-old Shivpatiya Devi with several crippling blows, but she has emerged from them with resilience and positivity. Hailing from Chhapra village in Bihar, she was a homemaker, living a simple contented life with her husband and son. The first blow to her independence and dignity came in the form of an accident in which her right leg was gravely injured. With continuous treatment she managed to get back on her feet, but the leg did not heal completely. She somehow taught herself to manage with limited mobility.

The next blow was dealt by her own son, who after the death of his father five years ago, refused to take care of her. Luring her out of the house on a false pretext, he took her to Patna railway station and abandoned her there. When the HelpAge India team first encountered her, Shivpatiya Devi was unable to walk and moved around by dragging herself across the floor. The team helped her by providing shelter at the HelpAge run ‘Sahara’ old age home in Patna.

The next urgent need was to restore her dignity and mobility. Through Project ‘Sugamya’, she was provided a wheelchair, which enabled her to move around freely once again, with less effort. The mobility aid has not only improved her physical well-being, but has brought a marked improvement to her mental well-being as well. She has gained a lot of confidence and looks forward to each day with renewed hope.