Al Amin wants to be independent

Al Amin is a 21 year old from Rajshahi where he lives with his two brothers, two sisters and parents. His father is a farmer and brings in the only income for the family. He was studying Management at Dhaka Tejgaon College.

During a holiday Al-Amin went back home, while riding a motorbike with a friend, he had an accident severely injuring his neck. He was immediately taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where after assessing him doctors decided he needed an operation.

But as there was a long waiting list the family after selling a piece of land and getting financial aid from relatives moved him to a private clinic so the operation could happen sooner.

After the operation Al Amin was referred to CRP for rehabilitation. When the multidisciplinary team assessed him, he could not sit unaided, had no muscle power and had developed two pressure sores on his back. During his eleven months stay at CRP, his sores were operated on and he also received physiotherapy, occupational therapy and counseling for his physical and mental health.

The therapists said as a Tetraplegic patient Al Amin has little strength in the upper body but no sensation in the lower body, he can feed himself with a modified spoon, can write a little with a hand splint but needs full support for other activities. He can also sit in a wheelchair unaided but depends on the carer for mobility.

During this long period of the rehabilitation process, his father was with him at CRP, so was unable to work on his farm resulting in a loss of income. CRP and its donors helped Al-Amin to complete his rehabilitation. He is planning to transfer to a college near his village. He is also intending to do a course on computer application and get a job after finishing his studies.