Asad Molla – Moving towards an independent life

Asad Molla is a 36 years old young man from Faridpur.  He is a farmer and used to work as a day laborer in others field. With this little income he had to support his family consists of five members. In early June 2016, he went to market to buy rice. It was a fifty kilograms rice sack and Asad was carrying it on his head. He was on his way towards his home but suddenly he slipped and fell under the sack. One of the passer by saw him and came for his help instantly. Asad could not move. His full body below neck was completely paralysed. He was taken to Faridpur Sadar Hospital immediately but they referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). There he stayed for ten days and did his x-rays and MRI of spine. With those reports the doctors of DMCH diagnosed him as a spinal cord injury tetraplegic patient. So, he was referred to CRP in the middle of June 2016 by DMCH. CRP’s multidisciplinary team including doctors and therapists assessed him and put him on traction for one month. He could slightly move the left side of his body on the 15th day of his traction. After releasing him from traction, doctors provided him a hard collar. He regains sitting ability after receiving physiotherapy and occupational therapy for one and a half month. He started to use wheelchair for movement.

He has been staying at CRP for four months. Now he can stand on his feet and walk almost independently without any assistance. Asad is one of the rare cases of spinal cord injury who is fully recovered from Tetraplegic condition. He can do all of his daily tasks by himself. His doctors and therapists claimed him as 90% independent and hopefully over time, he will improve upto 100%.

As the only earning member of his family he needs to think of alternative earning source. So, He is going to enroll in shop management training at CRP’s vocational training institute. Following discharge from CRP he is planning to set up a grocery shop in his village but it will not be possible for him without economic support. CRP with the help of generous donors will be able to reintegrate Asad in his community.