Success Story of
Ajmal Beig...
My heart beats with her
Shared by: ajmalbeig
Lahore. Pakistan.
Your Comments...
It was a miserable hot Sunday of April 12, 1970, in Lahore, Pakistan
when I got fractured my cervical spine in the shallow water of
Lahore city canal. As I dived, my head hit the sand; legs poled up
over my head and then fell down to right side. After a moment, I
felt that water is running over me. I tried my best to come up but
there was neither sensation nor any movement in my body. So I
believed to be drowned and dead but a sparkling wish waved in my
mind for the life. I prayed to God Almighty for an escape and
suddenly a vortex swirled me back to the bank. I was in full senses
but totally motionless. Some people noticed me and get me out of
water. All this happened within seconds. After some time, I was
taken to Services Hospital by a horse-driven tonga and shifted to
Mayo Hospital late at night. At then, I was just 16, have passed my
Secondary School Examination in 1st division and in a process to
getting admission in a college.
Next, it's a shocking zig-zag story, yet hard to recall and maybe
unpleasant to read. But let me brief it to show the degree of my
inconveniences while in bed. In Mayo Hospital Lahore, I was
diagnosed as "burst fracture of C-5" and a group of senior doctors
headed by Dr. Sardar Ali Sheikh unanimously decided to apply
fish-hooks’ traction. Next day, I was taken to Operation Theater
where Dr. Ghazanfar Ali Shah made holes in my sideburns and attached
fish-hooks there, and a weight of 15 pounds was imposed to traction
for 12 weeks. I spent first four months in a state of motionless
body... no sensations… semi-consciousness... highest 107.2°F
temperature... painful fish-hook cervical traction... neurogenic
bladder and profound bedsores. After improving some sensations and
perceptions, I was shifted to General Hospital Lahore for the
recovery of my bedsores. So, I spent next eight months there until
my bedsores completely healed. And when I moved back to home after
almost a year, a new era began to fight for life and struggle to
chalk out my future. Great efforts for the restoration of my
health and ability to walk back were made. All available health
specialists and peers were contacted. A variety of treatments i.e
Allopathy, Homeopathy, Herbal, Hydropathy, and Spiritual were
practiced but time elapsed faster and faster without a certain
miracle. Thus, days accumulated to months and months made up years.
However, after a constant period of 2½ years, while using mix
treatments and performing physiotherapy, I was somehow developed to
stand and walk with the help of crutches first and with a high stick
later. My sensations were also restored partially and I was
categorized to "Left-sided hemi-plegic".
In 1974, I was operated twice. First, my urinary bladder was
operated for a stone removal. The famous urologist Dr. Imtiaz of
Hajrah Memorial Clinic did a successful attempt. Second, for the
rectification of my spinal cord - decompression by laminectomy,
famous neurologist of that time Prof. Dr. Bashir Ahmed did the
operation after a great discussion which was severely unsuccessful.
My sensations diminish and I lost my ability to walk even with
crutches. My capacity of writing weakened as severely that I was
unable to even holding my pen. Thus, this futile operation badly
affected my daily routines and I was somehow more dependent than
before. To restore my pre-operative condition, several certain
efforts were made with the help of physiotherapy but I couldn’t walk
with crutches even after and now, a permanent wheelchair user. My
latest cervical spine MRI report concludes; Post traumatic C5
compression and cord injury which has progressed to focal cord
atrophy and mylomalacia.
As I grown up, my emotional attitude stricken
by sudden loneliness. I need someone to talk and share my feelings
with but there were no certain opportunities to avail to. In 1980, I
attended an out-stationed marriage ceremony among other relatives
and traveled by train. My first cousin, who was accompanying us,
observed the facts, difficulties and degree of my disability very
closely. In her own words, "It was first time; I felt a soft corner
for someone in my heart." She doesn’t express her feelings to me and
we came back without any emotional incident rather spent a pleasure
time among families. After a few months, we were gathered again in a
local marriage ceremony and she conceived same feelings once again.
Again, in her own words, "this instance was a milestone for me to
decide that I will share your sorrows and spend my life with you. I
felt, I was pushing towards you by a vital force magnetically. I
believe; God revealed me to do that."
After a few months, (first time in her life)
she approached to my house all alone and acknowledged her feelings
in a daring manner. I was shocked and hard to believe because I was
totally ignorant about her two repetitive mindsets. In later months,
we correspond often and she visited me frequently to better
understand each other. It gave us courage and spirit and at last
leads us to decide to marry. Before any extreme action, my father
visited her father for a favour but he refused as we were expected.
Thus, using our legal right of self-determination was our last
option and with the court orders, we have our nikah on December 20,
1981.
On December 29, 1981, I was invited to read a
paper about disability and its consequences; entitled “Kiya
Mazoori Aik Roag Hai?” in a seminar; conducted in relevance to
“1981-International Year for the Disabled Persons” embraced by the
United Nations; well-echoed globally and observed in Pakistan as
well on broad spectrum. The seminar was organized at Hotel Flatti's,
Lahore under the banner of Anjuman-e-Bahali-e-Mazooran, Lahore;
headed by Mr. Jamshaid Pirzada and presided over by Mr. Zakir
Hussain Qureshi Provincial Minister for Social Welfare and Religious
Affairs, Punjab. After my speech, a handicap lady Mrs. Mussarat
Piracha asked about my activities. As I replied, “I’m free at home”,
she said, “a person with such bright thinking shouldn’t stay at
home”. She offered me to work with her in a Girls High School she
was running since long. Being grateful to God, I accepted her offer
and joined the office with great enthusiasm and passion on January
4, 1982 as PRO (Public Relation Officer). The lady provided me a
wheelchair as gift to use at home which brought huge comfort to my
life. My younger brothers were responsible to pick and drop me from
home to office in a hand-driven tri-cycle which I was accustomed to
use since last three years. Of course, they paid their duty very
honestly and with great favour, for that I always have great respect
and love for them. As far as my service is concerned, I believed; my
nikah opened a new door of fortune to me.
Next year, in August 1982, we got married as
my in-laws agreed upon “rukhsati” in a blessing manner and I brought
my wife to my little paradise filled with love, harmony, and hope.
In the later years, we struggled a lot for our better living and
brighter future by understanding and accommodating each other. We
mutually played a considerable role to cope with ups and downs and
never loose our courage and faith. There were so many instances that
shook our courage but we remain in the arena, sharing our regrets
and pleasures among ourselves. With our performance, spirit, and
passion for life we become flourishing and independent year after
year. We furnished our home with household facilities that make our
life easy. Later, I got patient lifter, new wheelchair and
tri-wheeler auto motorcycle that brings a lot of comfort to our life
as we were more independent and able to enjoy our life, the way we
like. Read an Urdu article about
Mazoori Aur Shadi
My literary thirst well quenched at school
platform, where I done a great creative work, introduced my
designing capabilities by giving extra time even after school hours.
While I got computer training well beside my service in late
afternoons, my medical problem get worse and worst due to constant
sittings; resulting pressure sores. At last, in the capacity of
Manager, I resigned heavy-heartedly on medical grounds after a
continuous service of 18+ years without claiming any retirement
benefits. Now with the mercy of God, I’m running my own home-based
computer training institute with full capacity and all of my
multi-natured activities are focused on it. With great pride, I’m
providing special training facilities and discounts to "Persons with
Disabilities" with wheelchair access in my
Pentium Graphics
Center & Training Institute, located
at Sanda Kalan, Lahore.
Alhamdo
Lillah, we are spending a satisfied and happy matrimonial life with
a live example for the society. Despite, we are still childless; she
never let me think about my disability. I believe she is the "best
of all the best" in the world. If there are women who have privilege
to claim Jannah with their good deeds, my wife is one of them. She
is always supporting, loving, caring and compromising and no doubt
she makes my life a paradise on this earth! She is a symbol of love,
courage, compromise and sacrifice. In August 2007, we have
celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary (silver jubilee) with great
pride.
In the field of literature and passion to work
for the rehabilitation of PWDs, currently I'm engaged whole heartily
with following two projects:
-
Working for "Voice of Specials" - a bi-lingual
monthly magazine (ABC Certified) publishing from Lahore for PWDs by
the PWDs in the capacity of Executive Editor (Hon). In good sense,
to promote the voice of PWDs and highlight their problems on a broad
spectrum, I have designed and sponsored the official website of
Voice of Specials.
-
Addressing the most neglected issue - the
marriage of the PWDs, I'm offering free online matrimonial service
for PWDs with the association of my wife and a group of
sincere people. We also offer counseling, guidelines and
aid-in-material, where needed. We encourage normal persons in
getting married with PWDs. Online registration is totally free and
there are no hidden charges before or after marriage. If you are a
PWD, you still have the right in getting married. Register yourself
and see our listings at
He&She Online Marriage Bureau for Disables.
  More exclusively, in April-May 2008, I
have got honoured to perform Umrah
with my wife. This spiritual journey and stay in the Holy Lands of
Makkah and Madinah (in Saudi Arabia) brings me peace, happiness,
satisfaction of mind and empowered my eemaan. Al-hamdo Lillah. To
share my experiences and observance with rest of the world,
specially with Muslim PWDs, I have documented each and
everything and now available online. You can read this travel story
with cross info, pictures, and guidelines for PWDs planning for
Umrah. Read and enjoy...
click here to
proceed
Send your comments on this story
Your Comments:
The Thought-provoking story of
“ajmalbeig” is a reflection of true spirited life in this mortal
world. Anyone who has ever wished to live in it for ever, met with a
tragic end. This life has never been sincere to anyone but cruel. I
think the life of the couple is beyond appreciation. ……The couple
did not get disappointed at any stage and very bravely confronted
the adverse circumstances with dignity and pride….And I must here
forget not to mention his praise-worthy and devoted wife who
sacrificed her entire life for a noble cause. Imagine, once
she must have been a young college going girl, filled with sweet
dreams of life…..She must also had thought of traveling around……Must
had wished to live like a normal human beings. Imagine, how
many times she must have re-called his decision of getting married
with a disable person…….How many times she must has thought about
the justification of this decision she took….. How many times she
might have been broken from inside, seeing the outer world…..She
must also had dreams, emotions, feelings and desires about
life……..BUT, nevertheless’ she sacrificed everything for WHAT…….for
a noble cause. And I think such woman with sound character and
noble cause is beyond appreciation and praise. I really do
not find appropriate words to explain her sincerity and sense of
sacrifice, though its very hard and difficult to express. I believe
that this couple is a role model for the entire humanity. They have
not lived this life, rather I would way that they have truly
struggled hard to reach at this stage with utmost dedication and
courage. I pray that the couple may live long and Almighty may
bless them with His countless favours and bounties and may ease
their hurdles and worries in the noble cause, they are working for.
I wish them a very very happy ends of the life to come and
hereafter.
With lots of prays and regards...
Saeed Akhtar
Mandi Baha-ud-Din, Pakistan.
October 5, 2007.
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