Smiling face of a dumb person with the help of CRC Service
Voice is the media of sharing ideas in between two human beings.
Twenty five years back I lost that precious weapon by removal of total vocal system due to surgery in throat for cancer disease. This was the consequence of chain smoking. Since then I lost all the interest in life, disappointed, disheartened and on the verge of undergoing trauma. But Life did not stop here. I heard that in absence of one organ other organ may be used as a vocal media. I.e. using food pipe (oesophageous) as vocal media. By undergoing in human effort and with strong determination I started practicing day and night. Ultimately one day all on a sudden I heard myself. This was the stepping stone of voice restoration and eventually by articulation of leap, tongue, throat, nose, jaw etc I started speaking normally in harsh voice. All though the quality of speech was not at all remarkable.
Unfortunately in our country there was not a place where this type of speech therapy was conducted. Even now itself it is rarely available in India. However due to the support of my wife and two children I could continue to use unbearable speech.
Luckily Japan International Corporate Association (JICA) arranged an advance training for the Laryngetomee survivors in Tokyo for those who at could at least started talking. This training was specifically for development of speech with an idea that this training could be shared with many cancer survivors. I was one of the fortunate one among five other Indians who could avail this facility.
With the help of three months advance training my voice was not only reached near to normal, but also it was the foundation for developing many unfortunate dumb persons who could get there voice back.
Coming from Japan I thought of applying modern technique to those laryngetomee patients who were leading a dumb and trauma life. I was waiting for the suitable opportunity; One day I got the opportunity to fulfill my mission.
Doctor Sultan Pradhan and eminent cancer surgeon and chair person of Prince Aly Khan Hospital who was thinking cured patients who may be treated by the medical personnel, however who could help them to reinstate them for going back to their normal life by offering them moral and mental support? With this noble idea in mind he established his brain child CANCER REHABILITATION CLINIC (CRC). With the help of Masectomee survivor Ms. Anaita Vesuvala. She formed a group of 10 volunteers gradually, out of them many were cancer survivors. These dedicated volunteers under the leadership of Mrs. Anaita, used to offer patients emotional support provide proper guidance and helping them by arranging necessary accessories in order to reinstate them in normal life. Subsequently this group started Oestomee section by providing them necessary guidance and accessories. This facility is totally volunteered by only ladies. Now our service are so popular that even twice a week Tuesday and Friday is not enough.
A few years after Dr. Pradhan about, but who would give them voice back by providing necessary training. With this idea in mind he requested Ms. Anaita Vesuvala to search a Laryngetomee survivor who could at least speak normally. In one of the internationals Ms. Vesuvala traced me and requested to join with them. I took the opportunity to fulfill my desire for which I was eager so long of. I joined in CRC and forwarded my hand with them. Thus my journey started in Room No. 19 of the hospital premises.
Subsequently Dr. Zehera Rangwala joined with me. Both of us started forming a voluntary group with a few survivors by providing training and convincing them to work with us. Like that we got nine dedicated survivors/volunteers. We divided our group in two sections under the leadership of Ms. Anaita.
