She is ever ready to throw her head back for a laugh. The positivity on her face belies the fact that her body is perpetually in pain — a pain that can’t even be addressed easily because her damaged nerves can’t detect where the pain is originating from. And with both arms and legs paralysed, this fiercely-independent sports champion is now dependent on others to address even her basic and private needs. Nevertheless, Preethi Srinivasan is changing the lives of many challenged persons through her social initiative Soulfree.
“I savour every moment. I manage because I have disassociated myself from my body. I have nothing to be afraid of, even though I don’t know what will happen to me when my mother is no longer around to take care of me. I am here just to be the face of an invisible, neglected, and suffering section of society and help them live a life of dignity,” says Chennai-born Preethi, who has now relocated to Tiruvannamalai. She was in Chennai to flag off NHRD’s ‘inspirational women’ talk series.
Tragedy struck in 1998, when Preethi was on a college excursion to Pondicherry. A receding wave had tripped her and she had fallen face forward into the water. “Unfortunately, JIPMER hospital turned me away asking my teachers to take me to Chennai calling it an ‘accident case’. I was robbed of emergency medical care for nearly four hours,” she shares. Following the accident, Preethi shut herself away from the world. “The looks of pity and disgust shattered me.”
Now though, she has grown in strength to say, “I hope people look at me and are deterred from risking a spinal injury by reckless or drunken driving, or mindless stunts. I also want people to look at me, stop feeling sorry for themselves and enjoy the positives in their life. Take it from me, it is a fantastic blessing to be able to even just clap one’s hands.” Before her accident, Preethi had been the captain of the under-19 Tamil Nadu women’s cricket team, a champion swimmer and a very attractive and confident young woman.
Reconciliation with life came with time — through her parents’ unflinching support, from embracing spirituality, and from an internal awakening that the way people perceived her didn’t matter anymore. Then on, Preethi started catching up with education. After a gritty battle to gain admission, she is now doing her Masters in Psychology from Madras University. Alongside, Preethi works as a synopsis writer for a website, working with speech-activated software that lets her operate the computer by voice commands.
Even more massive is the impact of Soulfree. Among its initiatives is a monthly stipend for 10 severely disabled persons in villages, for which Preethi generates money from donations to Soulfree and the talks that she gives across the country and outside, such as the forthcoming ICC 360 degrees forum at Singapore.
In association with the Rotary Club of Madras, Soulfree is trying to evolve a transitional rehabilitation programme to equip those with crippling injuries to handle life and its new physical, psychological, social, and professional challenges. Preethi’s ultimate aim however, is to create a residential, self-sustaining township where challenged persons can live a life of independence and dignity — a township that has inclusive schools, work places, recreation centres, etc. “As of now, there is not a single place in the country where a disabled person can live and function without the assistance of their primary care givers,” she points out, adding, “Even within their homes, scores of challenged people are being ridiculed, pushed aside and sometimes even driven to suicide. Very few of us are able to live productive lives of dignity.”
Obviously, a great deal needs to be done. “We need help from citizen volunteers, media, corporate houses, NGOs and Government agencies,” says Preethi. Interested persons may mail her at preethi@soulfree.org
