Doctors will remove shrapnel from her feet in her 19th surgery today, as buoyant Nidhi Chapekhar hopes to take to skies again. Says she credits divine forces for her miraculous escape
Nidhi Chapekhar in the defining photo of the Brussels terror attack
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Nidhi Khurana-Chapekhar from Mumbai became the face of the Belgium 2016 March terror attacks after that defining picture of her shell shocked face with blood streaming down it went viral.
The Andheri resident, an air-hostess with Jet Airways when terror hit Zaventem airport in Brussels, says with a laugh on the phone when asked how she is, "I am great, I can walk and I think I will fly soon." Nidhi will undergo what she hopes, "is my last surgery at the Breach Candy Hospital today (Friday, July 7). The doctors are going to attempt to remove metal shrapnel from the soles of my feet, as those are causing me lot of pain and do trouble me when I walk. There are more metal shards in my body but they won't touch that. This embedded shrapnel as a result of the bomb blast still irritates me, and I cannot walk very well when bare foot. My right foot is still swollen, you can see the difference in size in both my feet, my right looks much bigger because of the swelling. Yet, I am not complaining, in fact, I am upbeat about this surgery. I can wear sports shoes, I wear slippers, I walk around everywhere, I do physiotherapy and now I climb stairs too," explains Nidhi with a touch of pride.
Felling those demons
The surgery today under Dr(s) D Soonawalla and A Tibrewala, come after at least 18 operations Nidhi has gone through post the terror attack. On March 22, 2016 three coordinated suicide bombings, two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, and one at Maalbeek metro station in central Brussels claimed 32 lives and left more than 300 injured with The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claiming responsibility for the deadliest attacks in Belgian history. Says Nidhi, "The doctors in Mumbai said we needed to wait to operate on my feet, they were also debating whether we should operate at all, but now finally have decided to do so. I have come so far by God's grace."
While Nidhi credits her healing to a divine power, her medical team in Belgium say it is her will power. Nidhi recalls a March visit this year, "I went to Belgium. There was an event held by the Belgium Govt. to mark one year of the attacks. I went to the Zaventem airport, sat in the same chair at the very spot, where I was placed one year ago. It was a powerful, cathartic and emotional experience, difficult for me to encapsulate fully in words."
The Belgian police force saluting Nidhi in March this year, at a ceremony to mark one year of the Brussels terror attacks
It is a miracle
Nidhi met the medical teams that treated her post the attacks in Belgium. She explains, "When they saw me walking towards them this time, the docs who had treated me there, said it was miraculous." Nidhi said they told her on this visit how they had thought, she would never walk again. "They told me that they had considered amputating my injured legs post the attack but were glad that they did not."
Nidhi said, "I was treated at two hospitals in Belgium, The Grand and St Augustine. Docs told me that at first glance when they saw me being wheeled in, they thought I was a black person. Then, they realised I am not black, it was my skin that was burnt to that colour."
Nidhi signing the certificate which gives her the 'Godmother' mantle
A commando remembered
Nidhi adds, "I wanted to thank every single person who helped me, on my visit in March. I asked to see a commando called Paul Henry. He was the commando who put me in a chair after the attacks. In fact, I learnt later that their shift was going to change at 8 am and the bombs went off at 7.58 am to be precise."
Nidhi elaborates, "I got my wish and met Paul Henry too on March 28 this year. I went to the military barracks at Barracks Cdt. E Hemptine at Hertogstraat 184, which is the address of the barrack where I met him. He is the commando who helped me sit in that chair, where my picture was taken and that photo went all around the world. I was also called to the headquarters of the Brussels police station. I was given a guard of honour, policemen saluted me, and there was a beautiful speech in my honour." In fact, the police asked Nidhi to become the "godmother" of the Belgium Federal Police. "Now I have a certificate designating me as Godmother to them," says Nidhi with a laugh.
Nidhi Chapekhar with her father, who was ailing recently, at a hospital in Amritsar
I am a candle
The gritty survivor, who says, "I was Nidhi Khurana first, and I loved it, but I became Nidhi Chapekhar by the media after the attack, you can put me down as Nidhi Khurana-Chapekhar," becomes emotional at the thought of her journey and the fact that this operation will signal the end to procedures that are part of the outward healing process. Physically, there are all attempts to bring her back to the person she was before the attack, mentally, Nidhi has changed forever. She says, "I am very strong now, I am a positive person. What is life? God holds the rope to our life and I am a candle, which hopes to spread some light in the world."
She adds wistfully, "Hopefully I should be able to fly again. I need opportunities to see more of the world, there are so many countries to visit still." When asked about her thoughts of Europe becoming a huge terror attack target, Nidhi signs off, "the terror has to stop, humanity has to prevail. We have anti-terror police, sophisticated weapons, intelligence, even robots and are constantly evolving in our fight against terror. We no doubt, need all this. Yet, the biggest weapon in our arsenal is the resilience of the human spirit. That spirit will win against darkness, the light will shine through, I have little doubt about that."
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