Don’t need wings…just want to walk

A good walk cures most problems. Want to lose weight and get fit? Walk. Want to enjoy life but spend less? Walk. Want to cure stress and clear your head? Walk. Want to meditate and live in the moment? Walk. Having trouble with a life or work problem? Walk, and your head gets clear.~Leo Babauta '38 Life Lessons I have learned in 38 years' Zen Habits
The things that we so take for granted may be the stuff dreams are made of for some. It all started one day with my mum’s maid’s faith in me….her son 7 year old can not walk and she asked me if i could help her with some information and that she and her husband have saved enough money to go even if it means out-of-town and get the treatment done. Treatment in this case she knew was an artificial leg. She had toiled enough and all she wanted to do now was to see her stand on his two feet literally. The poor child could go nowhere, was studying at home and worst of all could not even handle his daily chores.
My search began and the first place as always was to begin with the Internet search. Thank Google it has a lot of answers ! I stumbled upon this amazing information on a charitable run place called Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayta Samiti (http://www.jaipurfoot.org/) that makes Jaipur foot. i read through the site and called up the number and spoke to a doctor, who said all that was required to be done was to bring the child to the centre and they will take care of him. “How much money Dr” “Nothing it is absolutely free for the poor” My heart did a somersault and i called up the concerned mom with the news. They fixed the appointment and i a deal with my god, Oh God if these people get the foot without any issues i am going to donate a foot.
The mother came home teary eyed and all emotionally full, “gosh” i thought “maybe things haven’t gone right”. Thankfully i was so wrong, the lady was overwhelmed with emotion and chokingly told me that the child had got feet. Her miracle i could not believe it happened only in 2 visits. The first visit they took the measurements and the next the child was fixed with the limbs. And told that as the child will grow they can come back and get the limbs changed. Wow all of us hugged each other and i kept my promise to go and donate the foot. I looked around the place and spoke to some people who were present there…and i was hooked. Every new year i visit them and contribute my share. It does not cost me much-even less than a meal at the restaurant-but the pleasure and peace it gives me is priceless.
Here’s what they do. They have different sections that design artificial limbs, the ones required for polio patients are different than the one required for someone who has lost his limb in an accident. The polio foot is made and die cast in plastic.






Whereas the other kind of limb is made of different materials. The foot and the ankle is made up of MRF rubber, molded into the shape of a foot and has around 4 joints, it is then baked and treated in a special machine for about an hour and a half and then joined to the limb. They also provide wheelchairs, tricycles and crutches.

There is a lot of info on their website, please visit and if you get inspired tithe over some amount and help give feet to someone. A cost of 1 foot is merely Rs2,000.