How Sharmishtha Patel creates beauty from adversity
Sharmishtha Patel, a paraplegic, keeps herself engaged and makes a living doing hand embroidery and stitching work
Aruna Raghuram
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet… And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”
– Dr Stephen Hawking, English physicist who experienced paralysis, including loss of speech
Sharmishtha Kantilal Patel has never believed in giving up. An unforeseen medical incident left her paralysed from waist downwards at the tender age of 17 years. Such a tragic incident, so early in her life, did not deter the youngster. She accepted her disability and moved on. Hers is a story of extraordinary courage and determination.
The day is still fresh in her mind. “It was December 15, 1986. I had a stomach ache and was admitted in hospital. There was a doctor’s strike that day and I could not get a proper diagnosis at that time. I went to the hospital walking and came out with paraplegia,” she says matter-of-factly, hiding the trauma that she must have felt 37 years ago.
The paralysis was later diagnosed by doctors to be a result of transverse myelitis (inflammation of a part of the spinal cord caused by infections or autoimmune diseases).
Born in 1969, Sharmishtha belongs to Saroda village in Dholka taluka, Ahmedabad district. Her father, who was a farmer, passed away nine years ago. She lives with her mother. She has two brothers living in Ahmedabad who work in private companies.
Objects of beauty
Today, the 54-year-old faces several health issues. You would not know that seeing her pleasant, composed face. What is truly remarkable is that she spends at least four hours a day creating objects of beauty. She makes embroidered dresses for deities, table cloths and other small articles involving both hand embroidery and use of a sewing machine. Since she cannot sit for long periods, she does her work lying down.
She embellishes the dresses with lace, mirrors, stones, pearls and ‘tikis’. Friends and neighbours buy her beautiful creations to sell in their circles. She also does mirrorwork on blouses, sarees and ethnic dresses.
Embroidery was an activity that gave Sharmishtha joy from a young age. She picked up embroidery skills watching women in her village as a child. She could embroider small handkerchiefs when she was 10 years old. She has continued doing embroidery work ever since.
Cherished memory
Sharmishtha competed at the national level in an embroidery competition in Delhi in February 2007. It was a vocation skill contest organised by the National Abilympic Association of India (NAAI). The event enabled talented PwDs (persons with disabilities) to showcase their talents.
Blind People’s Association, Ahmedabad, the largest NGO in the country in the disability sector, gave her full support in this venture. Before the embroidery competition, the participants received training for a few days.
“I have received a lot of motivation from BPA. I really enjoyed the three-day trip to Delhi. I was accompanied by my mother and a large group from BPA. I could not win due to speed issues, but just competing gave me great happiness,” she says.
This Navratri, with help from BPA, she got a new sewing machine from a donor in Mumbai. When she talks about her new machine the joy is evident on her face. “Now, I don’t have to rotate the peddle and the needle gets automatically threaded. I can work faster. I do not get arm or shoulder pain anymore and feel much less tired. This new machine saves me considerable labour and time,” she explains.
Break in studies
Before the paraplegia, Sharmishtha was studying first year BCom at Vivekanand College in Ahmedabad. “The college was around 35 km from my village and I would commute by bus. After the paralysis, I had to quit the BCom programme,” she says.
Her parents shifted to Ahmedabad so that she could get better treatment. The family spent a great deal of their savings hoping for a miracle. They went from hospital to hospital in search of a cure. But it was not to be. The paraplegia department at Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad eventually told them that Sharmishtha’s condition could not be reversed. However, they guided her on how to live a better life with paraplegia.
The paraplegia department, recommending her for a job, wrote: “She has remained cheerful and lively and has taken her disability in her stride.” It was this department that sent her to BPA to do courses that would enable her to earn a livelihood.
Thirst for learning
She did a six-month receptionist cum telephone operator course in 1988 at BPA. She also completed a one-year computer course from BPA. The thirst for learning and achievement continued to motivate her. A determined Sharmishtha also completed BA in sociology externally in 2008 from Gujarat University.
In the same year, she did an Entrepreneurship Development Programme for Physically Challenged Youth. She has done a course in Hindi from Gujarat Vidyapith. She has also completed four exams conducted by the Pandurang Shastri Athavale institute.
Sharmishtha worked in a company called Maxwell Automatic for 12 years. It is her positive attitude that got her that job. “The owner’s wife was a physiotherapist. While I was lying down and undergoing physiotherapy, I would keep myself occupied doing embroidery work. She saw that and suggested to the company that I should be given a job,” says Sharmishtha.
From 1989 to 1997, she worked on soldering of printed circuit board (PCB) components. From 1997 to 2000, she worked as a computer operator at the company. In a letter, the company has appreciated her for being sincere and hardworking.
“BPA gave me an auto tricycle in 1989 which I used to commute to office. It would take me 45 minutes one way though there was less traffic in those days,” she says.
Another challenge
After 12 years of working in an office she had to quit on health grounds. “I would develop bed sores due to sitting for long hours in the office. I underwent extensive plastic surgery twice for this problem. The doctor advised me not to sit for long hours. That’s why I had to quit the job,” she says. This was a big blow to her.
These days she makes a living primarily by embroidery work and stitching. She also does some soldering of PCBs for small companies. She earns around Rs 6,000 a month through both these activities.
Her mother is a great source of support. “My mother goes to the market to get me materials I need for my work. She also cooks and takes care of the house. She helps me by placing objects within my reach. I try to be as independent as I can. I too take care of her by ensuring she takes her medicines on time. We take care of each other,” she says with a smile.
BPA gave her a wheelchair twice but these days mobility is restricted as she has to wear a catheter constantly. However, she enjoys socialising with neighbours who keep dropping in.
Sharmishtha is a keen follower of news whether on television or by reading newspapers. She is also deeply religious and listens to bhajans and kathas while doing her work. Apart from a prayer routine, she reads religious literature through the day.
“All this ensures I do not have negative thoughts. I try not to dwell on the pain and suffering I have gone through. What has happened has passed. With that belief, I go on.” What gives her so much strength? “God is with me,” she says with conviction.
