Lost a leg and hand, but this man never lost heart

Most humans are always dissatisfied in spite of the wealth, health and other material comfort they have. Here’s a man who has lost one of his legs and a hand but lives a contented life, writes Shivaranjini S.

It’s just his dedication and strong will that has made him live with his disability. Jumping on his one leg he handles his part of work successfully.

Ghouse Mohammed who is about 30 years old lost one of his legs and a hand weakened but this has not left him disheartened.

Mohammed born to Shafi Ahmed and Farida, residents of eighth cross Sunnadakeri, is married to Naseema of Shanthinagar. He leads a contented life with what he is earning from his mechanic work he does at Karnataka Electric Vulcanising Works on Narayana Shastry road off Sunnadakeri.

Like any child he was fit and fine till he was 10 years. It was a dark day perhaps for him when a small nail pricked his right leg while working in a puncture shop at the tender age of ten.

Thinking that the small nail would make no difference, Ghouse did not take the matter to his parents. It was only after five days, he realised that the pain was making him uncomfortable to work and thus informed his parents.

Rushed to the hospital, to their horror, instructions from the  doctor was that his right leg had to be removed or else their son would die as the nail had caused infection in his leg. What could be more shocking for any parent?

No choice

With no choice left, they had to nod their head for the operation which made Ghouse lame. He has never stepped into school, as he started to work at a very young age along with his father who was also a mechanic. He is second among four children. He says that his right hand weakened after the removal of his right leg.

Though he gets the pension from government for physically handicapped he does not depend on that.

The self-reliant Ghouse had his own puncture shop near Siddappa Square before but since six months works at the mechanic shop owned by Chand Pasha and his son Saleem and gets paid Rs 150 per day.

Asked how they could take Ghouse for the job, Saleem says, they were confident and convinced about the way he works. He is the only labourer in the shop. He handles all sorts of works  offered to their customers, Saleem says.

Ghouse says that his disability has never come in is way of working. ­“I have to work for my livelihood and not depend on anyone for my bread. The almighty has given me strength and courage to work which I am encashing.”

God’s gift

When he speaks or works, there is no sign of regret in him about his disability.

Everything is God’s gift, we have to just accept what is bestowed. If he snatches one thing from us, he surely sees that something else is delivered to us, he says with a smile on his face.

Dr C Rajan, retired professor of Medicine department, MMC and RI says, that gangrene would be obvious if any wound is not treated early. The intolerable pain due to eventual spread of gangrene leads to removal of the organ.

Its mere negligence of patients and their family members with no timely treatment for the infection, which later reaches a stage of losing organ, he says.

“They don’t go to doctors first. Instead try to cure it by themselves with any form of locally available medicine or self treatment methods. And the right hand weakening could not be a reason of his operation,” he adds.