Chhaya Mehta

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Late Chhaya Mehta

As the youngest daughter in a family of six siblings, Chhaya was a playful girl who was always showered with a lot of love and affection. The tale of her sufferings began soon after the Chinese aggression of 1965, when she lay stricken with Jaundice in a hospital bed, soon after she donated 550 cc of blood for the soldiers.

This was the time she started experiencing acute pain in both her legs. Says Mehta, "After this I started getting sick. In between I was able to finish my graduation in Home Science from SNDT College, Mumbai and even hold the post of a lecturer. But I had to stop because of my arthritis and a skin problem on my right leg which did not seem to disappear. This was when my brother took me to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. Sometime during my treatment, certain injections which were given to me led to the formation of gangrene in both my legs. The team of 16 doctors attending my case decided to amputate both my legs. I could not be given heavy anesthesia because of my condition and I could feel doctors operating on me."

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Late Chhaya
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For Mehta the trauma was really painful. Says she, "I kept wanting to tell them to stop cutting my legs but I couldn't find my voice." Then, there were other complications which developed because of the pain killers she took despite the doctors advice. "Their side effects led to high and low blood pressure, failing kidneys, a collapsed left lung, cataract in both the eyes, diabetes, fragile bones and lesser blood supply due to contracting veins. This only goes to show that one should take drugs only on the doctor's advice," says Mehta.

In due course, Mehta also tried to get artificial limbs fitted. But she encountered another disappointment. Says she, "My body could not take the burden, which came as a big shock to me. It meant a lot for me to be able to stand on my own feet. But I can manage rather well now, with the aid of a wheelchair. Since I have always been good at handicrafts, I have taken this up as a profession. I get a lot of orders from friends and neighbors. I also managed to get a telephone booth for rehabilitation from Late Vijay Merchant."

To be self sufficient and not be dependent on others was her greatest goal. Those interested in knowing more can send mail to her sister at kiran@kiranarts.org

Late Chhaya Mehta's Achievements

Inspirational Poems for the Disabled

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