Young voices rise up in harmony…. As I see the shining faces of the children crooning joyously, a sense of completeness fills my being…. So what if they are differently abled and their bodies make them stand apart from normal individuals? Their spirits shine out, strong and true....

Infusing young minds and 'challenged' bodies with a sense of courage and determination is Kolhapur-based Naseema Hurzuk, president, Helpers of the Handicapped (HOH) - the organisation she started in 1984. By pervading their lives with a new meaning, 56-year-old Hurzuk, a simple, sensitive woman, has given them a fresh lease of life…. No wonder then that when one of her young wards inaugurated their new hostel building by untying the ribbon with his foot, his pride is still evident in his voice.

Today, Hurzuk - fondly called 'Naseema didi' - runs her world from a wheelchair…. This feisty lady was born a perfectly normal child, who was very fond of sports, an activity that filled her world till she entered her teens. At the age of 16, while playing kabaddi, she hurt her back and remained for years under treatment, without any proper diagnosis. "For a long time, I felt unwell, experienced backaches, but my love of sports made me hide my illness," says Hurzuk. "However, after a while I began to feel very heavy in my legs. My body trembled, my feet were wobbly…. The X-rays did not show anything and the doctors said the illness was more mental than physical."

On one of her visits to the hospital, unable to figure out why she was experiencing such great physical unease, the hospital staff pulled her by her arm across the room. "It took a great effort to cross that space," she says. "The pain was unbearable and I became unconscious."

The blackness receded but her world had turned dark.... "The pain had subsided," Hurzuk states softly, "but I could not feel anything below my waist and could move only my arms...." Treatment continued and the experts opined that a vertebra had got compressed and that there was a tumour on the cord. Surgery corrected what it could but "I never got my mobility back and I was left a paraplegic for life. I was taken over by a feeling of extreme humiliation. I begged people for poison, I prayed for death. I was looking for mercy killing as a way out of my suffering but unfortunately that is not legally allowed."

Life continued for Hurzuk…but with a tragic difference. For any other person, this might have spelt the end of all dreams. But not for her. Hurzuk's parents, five brothers and sisters were her pillars of strength. Despite adverse situations, she went on to complete her graduation in economics. She represented India in international sporting events for the differently abled and worked with several institutions serving the cause of the disabled.

"I survived only due to the support of my family. My father urged me to make myself so 'potent' that I would not miss out on what life had to offer." He died soon after she was tragically afflicted but his words inspired Hurzuk to take on challenges. Her life took on a new turn when someone told her about the social work done by 'Babu Kaka' (Mr N D Diwan) - who was also handicapped. "He was wheelchair bound but was running an engineering unit and even in those days travelled by aeroplane and drove his own modified car. He inspired me to come to terms with my disability, complete my education and get a job. He taught me how to live with dignity and manage myself."