Lost her leg, but not her hope...

Despite her handicap, Arupa's future is bright.
Arupa

Arupa, 13--Arupa is another one of our walking miracles. She is a source of inspiration to everyone she is around. Growing up with seven (that's right, 7) brothers and sisters in a poor family, Arupa worked in the fields from a very young age along with her siblings. Despite everyone's hard work and best efforts, there was never enough to go around. Never enough food, never enough blankets, never enough time--you can imagine the stress and anxiety they faced on a daily basis.

One day, Arupa started complaining about a shooting pain in her leg. There was no doctor in her small village and they couldn't afford the extra expense of medicine, so she was forced to bear the pain. Eventually, Arupa's leg became severely infected. By the time they finally got her to a hospital, doctors were forced to perform an emergency amputation in order to save her life.

 Arupa's leg was lost, but her hope was not...

 

Now with only one leg, she was viewed as a burden by her family so they sought someone who could take her in. Thankfully, a local pastor referred her to Palmetto #1 in Madhya Pradesh where she would be given good care. Since coming to the home in 2005, she has blossomed and grown into a leader around the orphanage. Arupa says Hindi is her favorite school subject and her favorite food is dal. She also informs us that one day she'd like to become a doctor. After meeting with her for just a brief period, it is obvious that no handicap is going to slow her down. She is focused, mature, hard-working and excited about what the future will hold.