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'Autos'mōbilitās
Athul Mohan T M
"We don't need any contributions from you to expand our programs.
Please share it among the poor and struggling around you."
Meet Vallinaayagam, a strong man with sheer willpower and high hopes from Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu. A great motivational figure for many who have lost their dreams. A true versatile character who does things that are uncountable. He works as the district level caretaker for the people who suffer from mobility issues, their thoughts and recovery, manages the poultry farm next to his house and all set up for the animal husbandry project and drives his auto-rickshaw for mobility purposes. He got the vehicle to meet his needs and also runs for rent sometimes. He has done a great deal of homework to design the vehicle according to his requirements and he can climb into the auto directly from the wheelchair but is unable to control the unconscious flow of urine. He told us that he undergoes through the entire consequences that a person with spinal cord injury suffers. His parents and brother are around and they help him with the basic needs. His father is a daily wage employee.
He fell down from 25 feet coconut tree in 2009 when he was a plus one student. The accident resulted in a broken spinal cord to the L1 D12 level. He was unable to access the toilets and urinate and excrete by himself, and unable to walk anywhere. He travels with the help of a wheelchair. "I have kept a shop and I drive auto. I have been driving an auto-rickshaw for the past 10 years, doing online recharges, train ticket booking etc. and earn the money for my daily expenses.
Earlier there was a shop but it was removed due to the highway extension program" he says. He is travelling all over Tamil Nadu (Ooty, Kodaikanal) in auto-rickshaw for his personal purposes and for physically challenged
persons' events. He shares his contribution to the house for his food and miscellaneous needs. He has learned the basics of English skills from the days he spent at Amar Seva Sangham, Ayikudi, Tamilnadu.
Urine control is the most difficult physical challenge for him. The unknown release of urine happens while sneezing or coughing. Unconscious defecation while trying to urinate is also a mishap. These are the main reasons why he travels by auto rickshaw. Irrespective of his health conditions, he manages to visit people with the same physical conditions as the conditions he suffers from. He's not considered as a dependent anymore even though the work and tasks do not progress much. He helps and brings them out of their homes.
Difficulties are big but we have to go on. Death is a constant truth as long as we are alive. There are people who have recovered from their difficulties with hard work. He met with the accident in 2000 and was hospitalized for 6 months after the accident. Stayed totally isolated at home for another 3 months. There is no proper medicine as a cure for his situation. He has been following the principles of "Nammalvaar"*.
He believes all modern medical practices are forgeries. He thinks most of the latest health practices are fraudulent. In his opinion, there are many corrupted political games in society. He looks at a totally traditional and naturalistic way of approach to the health sector and wants to end the unorganized and assumption-based examination of health.
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