Anand

I could not believe it, when I heard it from others. I resolved to interview the family and sought their permission to blog this piece so that it may benefit others.

A True Story…

Anand was 21 years old in 1998 pursuing an advanced diploma in computer science. A great sportsman, lover of outdoors, and a Malaysian Junior state level Runner until that fateful day when life dealt him a severe blow.

Disaster struck him one evening, when returning home from downtown Kuantan his vehicle skidded on a downhill turn, spun out of control and took him on a somersault towards the underlying golf course. The car was smashed beyond recognition and so was Anand, brain hemorrhaged and lying in a pool of blood, unconscious, and without immediate help. A trace of life was ticking with nobody to care at the desolate site.

Later, as Anand was struggling for his life at the hospital ICU, his father Pathma rushed there to be told by the Doctors that the case was extremely critical. He had suffered a trauma of the brain. The accident to his head caused a brain swell that hit the skull causing haemorrhage. CAT scan of brain showed Cerebral Oedema with diffuse axonal injury. He sustained severe head and chest injuries too. He underwent cerebral resuscitation in the ICU. Pathma was shocked and could not recognise his son as the whole body by now had bloated inexorably. His son was fighting for his life. He was fixed up with all life saving tubes, respirators and gadgets. The Doctors informed Pathma that his son will not survive and to inform the mother and close family members. He gave up all hope as he undertook the difficult task of communicating to his wife, Pakiam, about the tragedy that had befallen their son.

Pakiam was working as a chef in Sheraton Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Upon receiving the news she rushed to the ICU. There she kept vigil for 52 long days and nights hoping and caring for Anand who was in a comatose state with an occasional jerk of his left arm and leg. Pathma told the wife to keep praying. The Doctors had informed the Father that his son will not survive. However the Mother was very confident and never gave up on her son. She told everyone around that her son will come around. She was steadfastly   praying to God from his bedside. She never returned home until Anand was sent home by Ambulance.

At the end of 2 months, with no appreciable improvement, the prognosis

was clear. Anand will not improve further and nothing more can be done at the hospital for him. They were politely shown the door by the Doctors who by now had given up and held that he was bound to end up in a vegetative state.

The distraught parents brought him home and cared for him, feeding milk into his mouth by the teaspoons. They hired local masseurs with whose help his taut face and stiff body and limbs were loosened a little. He had residual paresis of right upper and lower limbs. Due to the head injury he was mentally slow and vocalised with difficulty.  But, there was hope yet!

The progress was extremely slow and cumbersome even as the Parents rallied around him. They tried communicating orally and when that failed resorted to written words. By now Anand’s vocal chords had found some life and he was speaking with a slur, words that could not be easily discerned. Then he would sulk. Someone suggested a Pet in the hope that he would find a Pup to be an interesting diversion away from the monotony of his parents. The parents obliged and soon a Puppy was in their midst, and served its role in his recovery.

It was now 3 years since the accident and though Anand’s condition had improved, he was far from normalcy and from doing anything on his own. Consultation with specialists in Kuala Lumpur for any new medical care yielded no results.

For a medical conference to be conducted in the city, the Doctor who had treated Anand previously approached Pathma, for permission to present Anand’s case. Pathma was outraged and denied permission based on their decision earlier. However, Anand went ahead and told his father to permit the Doctors to discuss his case and presented himself at the conference in a wheel-chair. No one was aware of his presence.

At the end of the Case presentation, while the attendees concluded that Anand could not have survived the accident, Anand’s Doctor declared to the contrary, surprising everyone and also invited Anand to the Podium to say a few words. There was pin drop silence as he was wheeled to the stage and most humbly declared that no Doctor should give up on a patient as long as there was life in a person. The response and encouragement he received thereafter provided impetus to the growing will power in him to get better.

In 2001, Anand, assisted by his parents, embarked on a wheel chair journey, to visit ARYA VAIDYA SALA (AVS), Kottakkal, Kerala, India -based on the advice of a family Doctor friend who had found the treatment useful. He spent 28 days-the generally recommended treatment period- and it was manna from heaven! Anand’s limbs found new life, he could get up from the wheel-chair and take a few steps, his speech was better and his head would remain steady.

Those were amazing and astonishing moments for Anand and his parents. Pathma, Pakiam and Anand are thankful for the grace of God, Doctors and masseurs at AVS, India for the miraculous cure. The herbal oil massage had done the long awaited wonder of seeing Anand on his feet and taking his first steps after a many years. The right arm and right limb straightened.

Although the treatment induced great improvement in Anand, the family could not come back to AVS for follow-up in the succeeding years owing to shortage of funds. By now all their savings and retirement funds had been spent and they were in dire straits for meeting expenses on Pathma’s salary. Pakiam the Chef, with her never-say-die attitude started a food stall to supplement her husband’s income. Anand was by now stepping out of the house regularly, walking with crutches and building strength.

Financially constrained and no where to seek support, the family found solace from their Christian neighbours who would gather and pray for Anand’s full recovery. The over wrought Pakiam was greatly comforted by the healing prayers of Pastors and Christian friends. She could see progress in Anand through the difficult years. As a result, the entire family accepted Jesus Christ as their saviour and are devout Christians now. “Father in Heaven and Lord Jesus Christ has performed a miracle in our lives and given us back our son” said the mother to me with tears welling up.

It was around this time that the family moved from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur. Pathma found employment for his son in a Supermarket and Anand continued with his physical training at the Gym, never giving up. He threw the crutches away and started walking on his own.

In 2009, Anand sought admission to the University for continuing his education and was rewarded with admission and 75% scholarship, based on his accomplishment in sports at the state level previously. He started driving. God made way for me to further my studies at the Open University, Malaysia, Anand says.

In October 2011, the family visited AVS once again for seeking further improvement in the fitness and strength of the right arm and leg.  At the end of 28 days when I saw Anand, I could not imagine the miraculous improvement that had come over a human being who was considered a basket case and had been given up by Doctors.

Anand’s success is primarily driven by his will power and resolve to attain normalcy and go beyond,parental care and devotion, their conviction that he will come around and their faith in prayers. Treatment at AVS accomplished the rest. He will complete his education soon and will be able to face life confidently once again.  

His last words to me were, “I will return to AVS next year on my own. I will also bring my Uncle and Aunt from Malaysia for treatment and take care of them. I will be forever indebted to AVS and the Doctors and masseurs who worked on me”

I wished him the best and returned to my room in a daze. 





FYI,following are the details of AVS


Address your enquiry to

Shylaja Madhavankutty
Sr.manager- Hospital Administration
ipadmissions@aryavaidyasala.com 

Ayurvedic Hospital & Research Center
Arya Vaidya Sala Kottakkal
Kottakkal Post, PIN:676503
Malappuram Dist.
Ph:0483-2808183
Fax:0483-2742210
WWW.aryavaidyasala.com