On 24th December 2011, 24 year old Kiran Kanojia was excited to board a train from Hyderabad to Faridabad. She had a good job as an engineer at Infosys Hyderabad. She was sure to assist her family with their finances now. In fact, she was most excited for it was her 25th birthday the next day, and she had big plans of celebrating it with her beloved family. Little did she know that her life was about to change altogether.
Kiran was eager to see her family at the earliest. Her station was soon to arrive and she was sitting on the lower berth near the coach door. This is when two unknown boys played miscreants. They tried to snatch away her bag. In the commotion that followed, Kiran was mercilessly pushed out of the train. Helpless and shocked, she fell out on the tracks with a piercing scream. Her left leg got stuck in the foot board of the coach and by the time the train could stop, enough damage had been inflicted on her leg. Kiran tried to move but could not move her left leg as hard as she tried. The fellow passengers rushed to her help and pulled her back up. She was immediately taken to the nearest hospital.
Kiran was having difficulty in processing what had just happened. Her life had turned topsy- turvy within a few moments. There was unbearable pain in her body, especially her leg. She did not know what was going to happen. The doctors around her were discussing amputation of her leg! Kiran’s heart sank. Here she was, expecting wishes and gifts from her loved ones, but instead she was handed a consent form wherein she was asked for permission to amputate her leg.
Kiran did what seemed right to her. She signed it. Her friends were worried, her family was in distress. Her parents were simple people with a weak financial background. They were under pressure to accumulate 1 lac rupees just so that their daughter could be operated on at the earliest.
The operation was just the beginning of her ordeal though. After the amputation, it took her six whole months to recover. The physical pain was just one part of it. Her trauma included the feelings of depression, denial, stagnancy, worthlessness, and isolation. She was stuck in a room for six months, completely dependent on her parents for everything.
Once she was done with this basic period of recovery, she made up her mind to be self- reliant once again. She could not bear to be dependent on others for any kind of help. She wanted to work, and help her family. She was ready to not let the loss of a limb take her down anymore.
Kiran’s pain however, refused to go. When she went for a check- up, she was informed to her horror that some staples from her wound had not been properly removed and hence they were now embedded within. This was the cause of the lingering pain. One would have expected the staff to be apologetic, but the merciless doctor told her- “You will be able to walk. The staples won’t harm you. As it is, you can’t run… so it does not matter.”
Kiran was appalled beyond words. The doctor’s words haunt her even today. She was even more determined now to get back on her feet- even if it meant getting an artificial leg.
She shifted back to Hyderabad and decided to continue working at Infosys. During this time, someone she knew connected her to The Dakshin Rehabilitation Centre (DRC). This turned out to be a life- saving guidance for her. They provided her with not just counseling, but also her first ever artificial leg and later, blade. They taught her how to walk and run. They introduced her to sports that she could get involved with. It was here that she accepted that there is more to her life than just that one tragedy.
She also got involved majorly in meditation, which helped her keep calm and control her negative thoughts. She took control of her mind, and that gave her more power. She became sorted in her approach, and she knew she had to do something different in life. In a Tedx event in Hyderabad, she said:
“I was in a typical corporate set- up. I worked 9-5, shuttled between office and home, and was running after money. And then, this incident happened and changed my life. I now run because it gives me power and it gives me satisfaction. I inspire people. I meet wonderful people along the way- amputees like me, who have a zest for life. I meet children who have lost limbs, and they inspire me too. I meet people from all walks of life who have the guts to beat the odds… I run for them as much as I run for myself.”
Over the next few months, Kiran started challenging herself vigorously. She knew it would be difficult, but she knew she had to do it. She had never been involved in sports, so the journey began from scratch. She started running 400m, then 2 kilometers, then 5 kilometers, and then graduated to the 10 kilometers mark. The pressure was more physical than mental. The blade would push against her amputated leg and it would cause her pain. There would be more pressure on the right leg than the blade,, which meant immense pain in that leg and the back. Every year, the blade would need replacing because of excessive wear and tear. This would cost her 4 lac rupees each time, which wasn’t a small amount for her. Kiran was above all of these obstacles though. She knew she was fighting for the greater good.
Eventually, she cleared the half marathon too, which meant running for 21 kilometers! She was so confident, alive and happy when she succeeded. She now runs in marathons all over the country, and takes part in many competitions, races, and events. She says-
“Sometimes I only finish the race. Sometimes, I beat my own records; but I always feel like a winner.”
She had a tough childhood. Her parents worked very hard to provide her and her siblings with a formal education. This struggle taught her that it requires hard work to fulfill dreams. Her family helped her a lot in becoming who she is today, after the accident. Everyone told them that she was worthless now that she was an amputee. Her parents however, never saw her as a victim. They continued to encourage and love her, which helped her love herself. She had lost a body part, but her mind was free. Being the huge inspiration that she is, she sums up her story in the following words:
“I have learnt that we must turn obstacles into advantages. I can call my accident anything- luck, fate, or destiny… but I have made the most of whatever was given to me, that choice was mine and mine alone. If I can do it, YOU surely can. Come with me, run with me, and let’s cross that finish line.”
Photo Links:
httpss://femina.wwmindia.com/content/2016/May/inside_dsc6972_1462965491_640x640.jpg
httpss://d28dwf34zswvrl.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Kiran-Kanojia.jpg
https://baysidejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/blade-runner.jpg
https://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jan/Kiran-Kanojia.jpg
