KOCHI: Dreams give wings to people who want to achieve things deemed impossible by others. Hurdles like losing a leg don't hinder them from conquering mountains.
On similiar lines, Neeraj George Baby, a 32-year-old man from Aluva in Ernakulam district, sent across a message when he triumphed over the imposing snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, and that too on crutches.
The picture of Neeraj standing on the top of the mountain with his crutches raised high projects his exhilaration and profound joy in achieving a dream that he has been cherishing for a very long time. "That's a memorable moment in my life," he posted on Instagram. "It was the realisation of a five-year-old dream. A dream that was achieved with a lot of pain and for a reason," he said.
He wanted to prove that even the differently-abled without prosthetic limbs dream big without being constrained. In a veiled poke at the government's decision to tax artificial limbs, Neeraj said in his Facebook post, "Wanted to prove that differently abled without prosthetic limbs can be free to their mind as they wish, whether you charge with GST and tax."
Even though the climb was exciting for Neeraj, the period from when the trek began till its end and the moment he called back home to convey the happy news, his family were very worried. "We were worried but are happy for him. When he conveyed the happy news, my thoughts went back to the day when he lost his leg to a tumour," said Shila Pappoo, a retired professor. He was nine when a tumour was discovered in his knee, she said.
"It had to be operated and in 1996, his leg was amputated. I was devastated and feared for my son's future. However, the physiotherapist who treated my son told me not to worry. He said that Neeraj is a golden boy and will achieve greatness which has been proven right. My boy has indeed conquered everything," said Neeraj's proud mother.
According to his sister Nino Baby, a lecturer at UC College, he sounded very happy and excited about achieving his goal. "He has been following a strict diet regime and doing exercise. It would have been tough for him to scale the mountain balancing the entire weight of his body on his two hands,” said his sister.
"We didn't take him seriously when he announced his decision to scale Kilimanjaro," said his sister. Neeraj, who is an employee at the Advocate General’s office in Kochi has gone trekking to Pakshipathalam in Wayanad, Kurinjini peak in Tamil Nadu, Munnar and Kodaikanal.