Children with special needs move ahead

ALLAHABAD:Children with special needs smiled as their paintings were appreciated by thevisitors. A painting exhibition was held by the rehabilitated special childrenof Samvedana Trust.Children as well as their parents attended aworkshop organized by Samveg where these children with special needs were taughtto paint. Children were very happy to see colours. "They expressed themselvesbeautifully," said YN Tripathi, president Samveg. Children weregiven sheets and taught full use of their hands. As many of these children donot have the ability to hold fine articles, we gave them foam and colours. Fewchildren have made amazing strokes, adds Vijay Kumar Tripathi, artist teachingkids. Sanchita too agrees and says, Students like Vaishnavi refused to doanything else until she had finished her work with colours. Amitshows a beautiful painting with colourful strokes made by seven-year-old PriyamTripathi. Priyam is happy with the appreciation and comes walking slowly togather his certificate. His parents said that he could not perform any physicalmovement by himself till he was four. After proper surgery and therapy, toady heis like a normal child. It is possible to treat such children withtreatment and therapy. In extreme cases we perform surgery too. It gives amazingresults, says Dr Jitendra Kumar Jain, secretary and orthopaedic surgeon,Samvedana Trust. He said that they have dealt with 417 cases in past three yearswith a 90 per cent success rate. Patients from all over Northern India come herefor treatment.Taran Chhabra from Gonda was unable to walk. Thisfive-year-old was operated and then given the therapy. This orthopaedicselective spasticity control surgery (OSSCS) involves as many as 18 incisions inboth the legs. Incisions are made in the muscles and tendons are released. Thiseases the tightness and with therapy, the movement in the legs begins slowly.With the balance in legs, many children who were not using their hands, startedusing their hands for normal day to day activities, adds Dr.Jain.The list is endless. Nine-year-old Deepak from Allahabad,seven-year-old Jugnu Chhabra from Kanpur, six year-old Rahul from Haridwar, Zoyafrom Gorakhpur, 19 year-old Kanij Fatima from Dhanbad, 24-year-old Ariba, allwalk by themselves now. A child who cannot walk suffers from osteoporosis,recurring urine and chest infections and low moral. He loses his confidence andzeal to live. Hence it is important to make the child independent by treatment,opines Mrs Jain.These children have overcome their handicap. Theywalk slowly but with confidence and poise. Their smiles say it all - a beliefthat even though their abilities are different, they are not less than any othernormal child. They too can achieve the best!