8mm
Posted on 08/12/2008 4:12:26 PM PDT by wagglebee
NEW DELHI, India, August 12, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Two years ago, Seema Sood, 37, in a letter to the President of India petitioned for "mercy killing," because she had suffered from advanced rheumatoid arthritis for 15 years.
President Pratibha Patil has now sent her a letter of a different sort, inviting Sood to "climb the steps of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan," the presidential palace.
"I am delighted to know that after a long period of 15 years you have triumphed over the despair of rheumatoid arthritis and are showing encouraging signs of recovery. With this resilience and spirit I am sure that the day isn't far when you will be able to walk again and come to meet me at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Periods of adversity in life are testing times for us. Do not regret the opportunities you have missed due to your illness. You should always look ahead for what you can do for yourself and for others like you who face adversity," the President wrote.
An emotional Seema said: "I am moved and grateful that the president wrote to me. There are so many people like me, yet she has shown such concern towards me. I do hope I can walk into Rashtrapati Bhavan and meet her."
A graduate in engineering from the prestigious Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Seema had become bedridden and completely debilitated from her illness.
Now, having undergone total knee replacement (TKR) surgery, which has enabled her to begin leading a normal and productive life, Seema is thankful that her letter to the president requesting euthanasia went unanswered.
Dr. Manuj Wadhwa, Senior Consultant and Orthopaedic Surgeon at Fortis Hospital, who performed the TKR surgery on Seema, told Express India that all Seema's joints - including small joints in her hands and feet - were "deformed, swollen and painful."
"When Seema first came to Fortis, she was bedridden, bound to the wheel-chair and severely depressed because of the state of her life at such a young age. She weighed only 40 kg," added Dr. Wadhwa. "Her case was complex because she had multiple joint involvements, her bones were severely fragile and her muscles were atomic and weak because she had been immobile for many years. It was a very challenging and rare case."
However Seema's attitude has completely changed. "There is a ray of hope for everyone in life, no matter how big the problem he or she may be facing. A positive attitude can be of immense help," said Seema.
The Times reports that one of Seema's biggest regrets has been spending the years in dejection instead of finding fulfillment by putting to use her twin masters degrees in engineering sciences and information technology.
Seema now teaches math and chemistry to children of her hometown and will undergo surgeries over the next six months to replace the rest of her joints, including the elbows, shoulders, and hips.
Very true!
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May God bless her. There is always hope.
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