Day after mid-day’s report, hospital, samaritans and MP come forward to help 22-year-old Sayali Dhamdhere who lost both her legs while trying to board a train
Sayali Dhamdhere is undergoing treatment in Jupiter hospital, Thane
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The 22-year-old from Pune, who lost her legs in a train accident on Thursday, gained consciousness and spoke with her father on Saturday. “I was supposed to motivate her, instead she encouraged me and said that she knows she’s lost her legs but hasn’t given up on her dream of becoming an IAS officer,” said Sanjay Sahebrao Dhamdhere (54), her father.
After mid-day reported on Saturday about Sayali needing funds for her treatment, help has been pouring in from various quarters, including from BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, who met the girl yesterday and assured her of providing the Jaipur Foot for her that will enable her to walk in two months. She is admitted in the ICU at Jupiter hospital.
A trip gone wrong
Taking inspiration from her cousin sister — a sub-inspector — to pursue a career in public service, Sayali, who had prepared for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam for the last 18 months, arrived in Mumbai on October 16 for the exam in Sydenham College.
Read Story: Thane: 22-year-old UPSC aspirant falls in platform gap, loses both her legs
She was accompanied by her friends and cousin Ranjeet. After she appeared for the exam, Ranjeet returned to Pune. Sayali decided to stay back for three days at her relatives’ place in Dombivli. On Thursday, when she was boarding the train for Pune, she lost her balance and fell through the gap between the platform and the train.
Sanjay is furious with the authorities for not taking the issue of the platform-train gap seriously even after so many accidents. “I blame the railway authorities… the CCTV footage clearly shows the gap between the platform and the footboard that took my daughter in. The authorities who are responsible for this should now see to it that my daughter gets the proper treatment and realises her dream,” he added.
Pep talk
“I told her to forget the past and think about the future. She narrated the whole incident, saying she remembers exactly what happened,” said Sanjay.
“She was worried about how we are managing the finances, but we assured her that people have been coming forward to help us. She is now strengthening herself for the fight ahead.”
Also Read: Thane: Trapped between train and platform for half an hour, man dies
Somaiya said, “I will see to it that the girl is treated well and will help her get the Jaipur Foot. We will also see that her dreams are fulfilled.”
Sanjay said that Somaiya tried to help ease her trauma and encouraged her.
“He assured her that within two days he would bring for her words of support from those who have lost their hands and legs, so that she could see how they are managing and fulfilling their dreams, and take heart from that,” he added.
A relative of Sayali, Santosh Shinde, said, “After mid-day published the news, several people have been coming forward to help. We are thankful for all the support. Also, villagers based in Junnar and Mumbai have united and collected more than R2 lakh that will be given to the family soon. Another person, after reading the report, gave us Rs 7,000 on Saturday.”
Rs 4.5 lakh
The amount Sayali’s family has spent on her treatment so far
Rs 25 lakh
The estimated amount of the total medical bill
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