Worse followed. Even after Niranjan turned two, he didn’t walk. Most
babies take their first steps between 9 and 12 months and walk well
in another three months. The crisis took the Ravis to Dr. Sriram,
Madras’ renowned orthopedic. He examined the boy, carried out
tests, and said, “His legs are made to walk.” The good doctor did
what no other doctor had done: give Ramamani Ravi a wild chance. It
was a glimmer of medical hope, not religious faith, and led to a series
of regular therapy sessions.
Six months later, one day as Niranjan stood, Ramamani showed him
an inch tape. He moved a fraction forward to pick it, and she slowly
withdrew her hand. The little one continued to inch towards her. He
had taken his first few steps in walking. Ramamani’s eyes went moist.
Of course, his actions were like a robot, his body stiff and hands
stretched full. But it still was a walk. Someone said, “Don’t put him to
sleep tonight lest he forgets the knack of walking tomorrow.” Luckily,
the following morning, he remembered not to forget. And over time,
he improved.
His growth, however, continued to be slow and in 1990, Ravi and
Ramamani took Niranjan to NIMHANS in Bangalore. It was there
the doctors told them the problem with their child: autism. More
important, they explained the need for coordinated efforts of the
family, therapists, and educators.
A few years earlier, in another part of India, a senior corporate
professional and his wife struggled to come to grips with the fact
that their young, intelligent, teenaged son now had schizophrenia.
In between, in western India, a thirty something doctor delivered a spastic, and life would never be the same for the couple. Years later,
in her early 20s, the child would die, but the parents had the comfort
of having been with the kid until its end.
