TOI Social Impact Awards: Insurance succour for twins with palsy

Eleven-year-old twins Hiranya and Thiruvara are wheelchair-bound. Both were born with cerebral palsy. Contraction of limb muscles is a common problem among such children. Surgery is the only cure.

They too needed surgery, which would otherwise have proved beyond their means had it not been for the Niramaya insurance cover for people with disabilities.

The Niramaya scheme, launched by the National Trust For The Welfare of Persons With Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities was the first to offer a health insurance for the differently-abled.

Hiranya goes to Dwarka’s St Mary School. A Class V student, she’s talkative and loves going to school. Her twin Thiruvara is bedridden and can’t express herself.

“Thiruvara understands everything. She loves music,” her mother Apala says. Thiruvara’s muscle contractions were so severe that her legs would lock like a pair of scissors. “The surgery was a relief. Being bedridden has caused her spine to curve. She might need a spine surgery for her to be able to sit up. Niramaya might make this possible,” explains Apala, a school teacher. For both children, the scheme made possible surgeries that improved their quality of life.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/TOI-Social-Impact-Awards-Insurance-succour-for-twins-with-palsy/articleshow/18283722.cms