The onlooker was left bemused at the sight of thetear-streaked faces of the guests who came for Tania Fernandes’ 21st birthdayparty. The reason was a short video that chronologically depicted Tania’s lifetill then. What pulled at the tear ducts even more was knowing that Taniaherself had created the video from various photographs from her own collectionand those she procured from relatives. And she designed the invitation cardstoo. Tania Fernandes from Raia, was born with the tetra-amelia syndrome (theabsence of all four limbs), on February 5, 1991.
A bright child, with a perennial twinkle in her eyes, hercondition broke the hearts of her parents when they had the first glimpse oftheir baby. Questions remained unanswered, but life had to go on. They sparedno effort in ensuring that she is happy and safe. They bought her an electricwheelchair whose joystick she manoeuvres to move around the house.
Tania had tutors coming home to teach her various schoolsubjects. She knows to read, write and calculate. She writes by holding the penbetween her face and the small stump of a hand. Tania has cleared threesubjects of SSC “ without the help of a scribe “ from the Don Bosco School inQuepem, the accredited centre for the National Open School in Goa, and isstudying for the remaining.
In 2005 Tania received a computer from the Social Welfareunder the Cyber Scheme, and she took to it like a fish to water. Her computerteacher, Leon, helped her get familiarised with Microsoft Office and theInternet. “She recently completed a course in web-designing and Photoshop fromMICE,” says her father Tito Fernandes. Come birthdays and anniversaries, shedesigns beautiful cards for relatives and friends. Converse with her and youwould not think she is any different from other 21-year-olds: she keeps intouch with friends through texts she sends from her mobile phone, is active onFacebook “ her posts on Facebook are motivational at best and put many othersto shame “ and loves listening to music. She regularly makes song requests onAIR FM Rainbow and is a favourite among the RJs there.
“I have the best parents and siblings in the world who loveme a lot, what can I complain of?” Tania says with a smile.
