Birth and Re-birth: Miracles Do Happen

We have only one LIFE… We are born once and die once… Yes!!! that’s right in a normal life but my life has been different. 30^th August 2008, the day when I met with the tragic roller coaster accident, gave me a new life, I could have been dead but I was re-born.

On 30^th Aug 2008, little did I know that the afternoon hours would be one of those longest never ending ones. As I opened my eyes around 3 p.m, I was not sure about many things around me, what is going around? Where am I? Who are all these people running here and there? What is this weird feeling in my body? Why is there so much of pain in my body? Worst of all…. Why is there so much of darkness? Can anyone please switch on the lights… In a fraction of a second that I could barely open my eyes there were hundreds of thoughts crossing my mind for which I was seeking an answer. I tried to ask to my cousin sister standing to next to me but couldn’t speak, it pained… I tried to get up from the bed but I couldn’t, it pained… I wanted to ask her why is there so much pain in my body but I couldn’t, because it pained… all I did was lie down unconscious again. I could only hear her telling me, “Janu, you have met with an accident.”

After a few hours when I opened my eyes, I saw my mom weeping, I saw my 2 best friends standing near me, with tears in their eyes and an expression on their face which I had never seen before. I was still struggling with myself, trying to gain some consciousness and talk to them. My heart wanted to reach them all and say, “I know I am in pain but don’t worry I am fine but I couldn’t. With the tongue in 2 pieces I could barely speak.”

I had never imagined that I was going to experience a unique situation that would teach me one of the best lessons of life, lesson to care for my body, to choose faith over anxiety, to choose courage over fear, to choose a smile over tears. My battle of victory with myself started from then. One after the other doctors made me count my fractures, my surgeries and my stitches but something within me kept me going, instead of getting disheartened I started learning. My eyes started more observing things around, my ears heard more now and my mind started asking questions like never before. One after the other, right from a neurophysician, spine surgeon, dental surgeon, cosmetic surgeon, orthopedic surgeon and a general physician, they all visited me. With the majority of the bones broken in my body and supported externally, my real journey began right then, when instead of lamenting my heart accepted my condition, in an instant I made peace within myself.

It is rightly said, “Beautiful surprises sometimes bloom from the most tragic seeds”. I restarted my life right from learning how to walk, talk, eat and sit. I started valuing each part of my body, they were all important, very important. I realized how much dependent we are on each part of our body may it be jaws, palms, legs, teeth, spine, however big or small, each was important. Each fracture was important and was to be cured whether it was in my legs, jaws, ribs or spine. All the movements were stopped, my body was stationed but my moments with myself started. I did something which I had never done until then. I was just silent; my mind was just silent, my body didn’t move, I started experiencing the amazing Sphere of Silence which gave me peace.

I figured out that I was much stronger and courageous than I ever thought I was. I started setting targets for myself. Like seriously YES!!! I did… It was important for me to be able to sit again, stand again, eat again (my doctor’s target was to be able to eat a pani puri again), finally go back to work again. The journey made me value each member of my beautiful family and ever loving friends because it wasn’t my journey alone. Each day each night each moment…they were all besides me one after the other, taking turns out from their busy lives BUT making sure that my life gets back on track.

Finally I started taking steps in the right direction. With a strong determination in my mind and a smile on my face, I welcomed each day. I started enjoying the process of getting back to basics. I started enjoying listening to people because I couldn’t speak. Then a day came when my 1^st fracture was cured and my traction was removed, with the help of a walker I could walk on my own feet. I was happy and thankful to the Almighty to be able to do that. It was my first victory and I was excited. One after the other, I was relieved from each bandage. I started counting months and gradually days left for my freedom.

But it is rightly said, “In pain, we grow”. I had finally gotten cured of all the fractures except the one in my cervical spine C1, C2 and C3. My dream of being able to talk, walk and eat had come true, now only was the matter when I could properly sit and sleep. It was the most shocking day of my life when one of the renowned spine surgeon broke the news to me, “Janki, your treatment is over. Whatever healing had to happen, has happened. You will now have to live your entire life with the neck collar wherever you go.” I was shattered to the core, I couldn’t accept this reality and I decided  to fight. Today as I look back, I realize the power of my thoughts, power of my intentions. I started visualizing myself as a normal girl without the neck collar, happily going to places and living life and what happened after that was nothing less than a ‘MIRACLE’. The doctor who wished to close my case was astonished on my recovery, congratulated me and gave a pat on his and mine back. We Won !!! And I had grown in this process, a little on a physical level but much stronger on mental level and my life has been like never before since then.

Today as I complete 6 years of my accident, I will never forget the efforts of my family and friends who stood by me each moment, gave a boost to my spirits, devoted their time and help me get back to my life.  Life is a meant to be beautiful so lets cherish each moment. There is a purpose to each incident and each accident ;-) and we are not meant to know the reason why. It’s a process to be lived, learned and loved.

Most of all I thank my God for letting me be the ‘Chosen One’ as I lived my journey of loss and recovery.

One Life... One Chance... Spread Smiles :-)