A former Bahrain resident and loving mother has spoken about the joy of caring for a disabled child and watching him academically prosper and gain a college degree.
Preethi Babu hopes her story of grit and determination will inspire others to look positively at what life throws at them with remarkable perseverance and love.
To this day the happily married mother-of-three continues to chaperon her wheelchair-bound son to his dialysis sessions three times a week. “God has given me a good husband and children and for that I am ever grateful,” she said.
The Indian expatriate’s firstborn son Christo, now 22, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid builds up in the brain, leaving him physically handicapped and incapable of performing basic functions.
At just three days old, he underwent two surgeries in an attempt to address the condition, both of which failed.
The family was reeling under the trauma when, just days later, the doctors announced that Christo had meningitis, an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, putting out any flicker of hope he could fully recover.
“He has undergone 22 surgeries so far and even last year was in intensive care for a month, but continues to live every day to its fullest. He is an inspiration,” Ms Babu told the GDN.
Observing that he was academically-gifted from an early age, she supported his educational pursuits, whether by carrying Christo on her shoulders to his third-floor computer classes, or accompanying him to school and subsequently college, until the day he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree covering subjects including history and psychology.
“A cash prize of around BD900 that Christo won in tenth grade meant we were able to invest the money for his benefit by building a home with wheelchair access,” she revealed, adding to the funds raised from leaving Kerala, like so many other expatriates, and finding better paid work in Bahrain.
“It was a difficult decision as I had to leave my children but fortunately my parents supported me by taking care of them … and they continue to
help out despite their old age,” Ms Babu added.
Her husband, Babu AC, 55, had already been working in Bahrain as a skilled electrician since 1997 – a trade that would later prove useful when he decided to build a suitable family home, with his own hands, back in his home state.
Mr Babu left Bahrain in 2010 to attend to his father’s needs, who passed away due to a stroke a month after he returned to their hometown of Nedumkandam, in Kerala’s popular Idukki district.
While in Bahrain, the couple lived in Muharraq. Having already run her own business, she landed a post too as a beautician and was renowned for her threading and henna design skills.
She continues to work from home. “People know my situation so they don’t mind coming here,” the creative talent, who also earns her livelihood as a tailoress, explained.
Ms Babu returned to India, after a four-year-spell, a year after her husband to be beside Christo who was scheduled for another surgery. To add to the family’s health challenges, around the same time, Christina, their youngest daughter who is now 13, was diagnosed with a hole in her heart and had to undergo open-heart surgery.
The family moved to their new house, which Mr Babu built from scratch, needing only to hire experts for concreting duties.
Middle child Chrisbin, 17, is pursuing his education and working part-time to support his mother – the sole breadwinner now after Mr Babu was also diagnosed with a heart condition.
“My husband has already had two angioplasties and currently cannot do any hard labour,” Ms Babu said, adding that she chooses to focus on her blessings, as she has, throughout her life.
“Our smiles show how happy we are,” she added.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
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