Lingadurai, 41, lives near Seramadhevi, Tirunelveli District, with his wife and two daughters aged 11 and 8. Lingadurai was working as a peon in Mercantile bank till recently. In 2017, he met with a bike accident in which his spine was severely damaged. Now he has become paralysed waist down. He is bedridden, unable to stand on his feet, and has lost sensation from the hip to the knee area. He has to wear a diaper and urinary catheters all the time. Immediately after the accident, he lost his job because he was physically unfit. He spent all of his money on treatment in the hopes of a full recovery, but he cannot afford to do it anymore. Thus his treatment was discontinued a year ago. He needs to spend Rs. 500 each day on physiotherapy, which he cannot afford right now.  During the Covid 19 pandemic, he struggled a lot to feed his family.  Since he doesn't have a regular source of income to support his family, good-hearted people in his community have helped him out to fulfil his medical expenses and family needs. His wife is unable to go to work since she is required to be with him all day to take care of him.

At our very first meeting with Lingadurai, we gifted him callipers so he could practise walking. This has helped him strengthen his leg; he now exercises every day with the support of his wife and a few other individuals. Despite his physical and medical conditions, he hasn’t lost hope. Not even once has he ever complained about his condition or his present circumstances.

In April 2022, we transported a hospital bed with an excellent mattress all the way from Mumbai to Tirunelveli just for him. His old coir mattress was torn in different places, which would poke him if he tried to change position while sleeping. Day in and day out, he was extremely uncomfortable and in pain. Now, with the new bed, he says he is very comfortable and can sleep peacefully. He can even sit up on the bed using the incline position. A small gift all the way from Mumbai has changed his life, and he is delighted.

CHF is planning to support Lingadurai and his family on a monthly basis for their basic necessities. There are many more such people in need of assistance in the interior, rural parts of India — people who are not in a position to earn a living and support their families. 

If you'd like to help Lingadurai and others like him, kindly donate.