Gagan is a twenty year old who APAAR 's CBR team meets twice a week in nhis village home . He looks 14 year old due to chronic malnourishment. His father is a cleaner and his mother a housewife who cares for him by herself as the father returns around 7 pm after leaving home early.

Gagan has cerebral palsy- he is unable to stand or walk. At this Wednesday's CBR visit, his mother burst into tears. She has to clean his stools and he is carried to the toilet and laid down to use the toilet. 

In a better district like Tarn Taran, Gagan would have been recommended surgery as a small child  by the Sarab Shiksha Abhyaan volunteers and special educators during their house to house survey. Not in Jalandhar where many like Ggan languish unaided.

All I had to say to Gagan's mom today in consolation was- we at APAAR will do our best to get him evaluated at CMC for possible surgery and extensive physiotherapy but first we must build him up nutritionally. 

13-Sep-2023  sun rays at Gagan's: 

it had just rained during our visit and a cool breeze blew in spurts. We helped Gagan on to his wheelchair and went for a walk- a rare occasion as his mother needs help to take him out. 

We have tried to improve Gagan's posture to straighten his neck, encouraging upward gazes but with little success so far.

While wheeling him in his chair, his mother walking by us, Gagan was looking up for minutes at a time. 

We then noticed that as we passed under trees he would look up as if in a trance. The branches, the leaves with their delicate patterns of veins stirring slightly or still. 

Gagan sees plants and trees only when he is taken out for a walk. To him a tree is a blessing to behold. I will never forget that upward gaze under the two trees. We have not yet made any progress in helping him go to the toilet comfortably--- but we brought him joy on a twenty minute walk around his village block by lingering under the taali tree. 

Thank you

Navneet