COIMBATORE: Two women aged 50 and 51 with mental health issues who were found abandoned in the city in 2023 were reunited with their families on Tuesday by Helping Hearts, a non-profit organisation which rescued and treated them.
The 50-year-old woman, who was rescued on November 25, 2023 in Selvapuram, is a native of Odisha. Sources said a year ago, she came to Coimbatore with her husband looking for a job. However, her husband, who was addicted to liquor, deserted her.
The other woman is from Kanchipuram district. She was rescued on October 8 at Vadugapalayam near Pollachi. She became mentally ill after the death of her husband and two sons. A year ago, while returning after seeing her daughter, she lost her way and reached Coimbatore by train.
Helping Hearts rescued the two and admitted them in the Emergency Care and Rescue Centre for homeless people with mental illness at Mettupalayam. The home is run by an NGO supported by the Coimbatore district administration.
After regular treatment and counselling by the doctors of Mettupalayam government hospital and social workers, the two recovered and recalled their identities and family details. Y Thilagavathi, a psychiatric social worker of Helping Hearts, said, “The two slowly recovered from the trauma and started to recall their identities.
Though they did not recognize their native exactly, they revealed the district and state. The Odisha woman was from Pappadahandi town in Nabarangpur district. We approached Coimbatore police to locate her family on July 9. After investigation, police shared the contact details and location of her family. We confirmed their claim through a video call. It was a pleasant surprise to the family.”
She was taken to Visakhapatnam by train and united with her family. The Kanchipuram woman was united with her family at Arakkonam railway station.
“The two women were rescued in a similar condition - laughing on their own, incoherent speech and wandering behaviour. While it was difficult for them to recall their own identity, it was challenging for us to identify their native. However, we understand their mother tongue and the treatment provided at the shelter at Mettupalayam healed them and somehow they recalled their native. We identified their family members through the local police and reintegrated them on Tuesday,” said M Ganesh, Managing trustee of Helping Hearts.