Dr Ciju Ravindranath at his clinic in Sharjah - Photo by M. Sajjad
Dubai - He has turned his disability into determination by becoming a doctor.
Published: Tue 25 Sep 2018, 10:00 PM
Last updated: Wed 26 Sep 2018, 1:21 PM
If you want a prescription for how to fight the odds in life, meet Dr Ciju Ravindranath.
After losing his right leg in an accident at the age of 20, this paediatrician from Kerala, India, has turned his disability into determination by becoming a doctor.
"Giving up was never an option. Even now, it is not," Ravindranath, 40, told Khaleej Times.
He was doing his second year MBBS in Government Medical College, Thrissur, when the bike he was riding collided with a truck back in April 1998.
"My friend Naveen Devarajan, who was on the backseat, got thrown off from the bike, and he died immediately. I got trapped under the wheel and got dragged off for about 15 metres. When I gained consciousness, I realised my right leg was amputated," Ravindranath said, describing the accident that changed his life forever.
He is fitted with an artificial leg but as his pelvic bone was completely shattered, the doctor still needs a walking stick for support.
"It was like a rebirth. Doctors said there was only a faint flicker of life left in me when I was on the operating table. Even after the surgery, I had to endure hours of painful physiotherapy. But all the while, I doggedly pursued one ambition - to complete my studies."
After nine months of treatment and several surgeries, Ravindranath went back to college.
"Most of my teachers and friends were supportive. My family stood with me, and I pulled through," said the doctor.
After finishing his MBBS, Ravindranath went on to specialise in paediatrics for his post-graduation. "That was my biggest accomplishment, and gave me lot of confidence."
After working in his home state for a few years, Ravindranath came to the UAE a year ago "to prove he can live on his own."
"I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and prove that I can manage my life on my own. My parents are getting old, and it is important to show them that I am self-reliant," he said.
The doctor said while he wanted to do a lot more to improve the life of children, he is glad his own life becomes an inspiration for others. "I am humbled when people say that."
But Ravindranath has two wishes.
"One, I would like to buy a more advanced prosthetic leg, which is available in the UAE. It costs around Dh40,000 and I hope I would be able to afford it at some point. Secondly, it is my biggest wish to meet His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. His life and his philosophy inspires me a lot."
anjana@khaleejtimes.com
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