Prativa was hospitalized in 2008 for chronic tubercular osteomyelitis centralized in her left leg. She recovered quickly with free treatment at Mercy Hospital and was able to return promptly to the girls home in Puri where she lives.
Still unable to walk for more than 15 minutes on her own, Prativa is not short of helpers. Day in and day out, her peers constantly carry her to and from different rooms for dinner, games on the veranda, and relaxing on the bedroom floor. Beyond any other activity, Prativa loves to sing. With the clearing of her throat, she begins a heartfelt song in a cooing, soft tone. “She wrote that song herself,” Pravita’s caretaker boasts. “She loves composing her own music.”
Something about Pravita’s tone of voice testifies to a resilient faith and hope. She lifts up the hemline of her dress to reveal a lengthy scar traveling up from her ankle to just below her knee—proof of the four surgeries she has undergone and overcome.