The State of Goa is increasingly notorious for fatal accidents leading to lifelong trauma or incurable injury and suffering, for which the person is not at fault. One such major accident at Karaswada in Mapusa left college-goer Raksha Dangui with a permanent spinal cord injury that disrupted her career and significantly hindered her life journey. The loss is irreparable.
Raksha vividly recalls the fateful day, January 21, when she was a pillion rider with her classmate, and the accident occurred six years ago. “Shockingly, my classmate passed away in the accident, and I was thrown from the bike and hit by an oncoming truck. I suffered a severe head injury and obviously had to undergo surgery. Rods and screws were fitted into my body, and I was bedridden for a long time. Unfortunately, the accident left me paralysed from the waist down (Paraplegic), and today, I am 100% disabled,” she recounts.
Raksha, currently undergoing free physiotherapy treatment at Rugnashray, Bambolim, shares that she is being trained to use the wheelchair, how to get up on her own, and how to move, etc. Regaining her health is her first priority before restarting a normal life. She disclosed that she has taken a break from her job as a US IT recruiter only because she wants to regain her health first and be fit and well.
Raksha recalls that the accident occurred just before she was to enrol for the last semester. After the accident, it took almost a year to return to college. She had to take a gap of one year, as the surgery and the bedridden state forced her to stay away from doing anything or moving out of home. But she managed to enrol a year later and completed her graduation by using a wheelchair to go to college.
As she is completely paralysed from below the waist, she is unable to walk anymore. Today, 27-year-old Raksha, a resident of Guirim, is piecing her life back together. She graduated from St Xavier’s College in Mapusa with a BA in Journalism, but her biggest challenge in life is her disability.
“I undergo struggle while taking care of my body and am always dependent on someone for my needs. There are plenty of challenges that come with being disabled, and one of them is to be dependent on others for various things, whether it is simple physical acts or some form of major physical activity. Being paraplegic, I have required constant support in the initial phase. It was a difficult phase but family, friends, and well-wishers played an important role in offering moral support during those days. My parents, siblings, grandparents and other family members have always played a significant role in motivating me and supporting me in all kinds of ways,” she admits.
Gaming has always been a favourite hobby for her, and even now, it helps her not just with distraction but also provides a sense of satisfaction and achievement.
The ‘Purple Fest’ as well as the recent inauguration of the first spinal cord injury rehab centre in Panaji are some major and much-needed steps the government has taken, according to Raksha.
As a message to others, Raksha said, “Life is filled with obstacles and challenges; it is, in fact, something that we cannot always avoid. What is important for us is to be ready to face and overcome them. We always need to remind ourselves that we are here for a reason...We need to be strong enough to celebrate all the ups in life and overcome all the downs.”
