Walking tall – Arju’s Story
Stories | December 20, 2024
Children with disabilities and their families experience social isolation and stigma due to misconceptions about disability. Such is the story of Arju, a five-year old kindergarten kid from Nepal who was born with hip dysplasia.
Having hip dysplasia – a condition where the bones in your hip joint don’t fit together properly – made it difficult for little Arju to walk. Instead of running around with other kindy kids, Arju would, as her parents described, “walk like a duck.” Children would not play with her and people in the village called her ‘langadi,’ the local name for a person who ‘cannot walk properly’.
Arju lived like this till the age of three when she was assessed and diagnosed with hip dysplasia during a screening camp for people with physical disabilities. The screening camp was part of a CBM Australia supported project that helps to improve the quality of life of children and adults with physical disabilities through improved access to accessible and appropriate rehabilitation services, such as surgeries, rehabilitation and therapy, and follow up services.
Upon her assessment, Arju was referred to CBM’s partner hospital where she stayed for two weeks to undergo surgery. For the next year she visited the hospital every three months for check-ups. In between these visits, rehabilitation staff would visit her in her own home, checking progress and training her family members on basic physiotherapy. These visits made it easier for Arju to continue her recovery at home and reduced travel costs for medical check-ups.
Through the support of the CBM project, Arju has been able to access surgery, physiotherapy and follow-up consultations free of charge! This is critical because someone’s financial situation should not be a barrier to accessing healthcare.
Arju is now able to walk tall! With a newfound confidence, she walks to the bus station where she waits for the school bus to take her to play with all her new friends. People from her village have also stopped calling her names. Her dream of becoming a teacher when she grows up is well within her reach.
Children living with disabilities face huge barriers and often experience the worst forms of discrimination. In Arju’s case, early detection and screening was crucial in her being able to reach her full potential.
CBM acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/walking-tall