“My sister and I were born with physical disabilities. We spent our first few years at the Kothagudem bus stand where my mother sold peanuts, while my father carried goods at the train station. One day, he slipped and fell between the tracks and lost his life. That news broke my mother and she started consuming alcohol every day. I was four years old and my sister was a couple years older but we knew nothing. We started begging at the bus stand. Our mother would collect all the money and spend it on alcohol. We would sleep without any food or water for days. She would get drunk and fall at random places. She once fell and never woke up – people came and told us she died. We didn’t really know what that meant. We just ran and begged for money thinking she would wake up and hit us if we didn’t have anything.
A few hours later, Uma amma (founder of an orphanage in Kothagudem) found us. She cremated the body and later, took us home. She gave us new clothes, good food and a place to stay. We were treated like family. She spent a lot of money on our health complications and education as well.
We went to school and studied with her kids. More than 15 years ago, I held her hand and I’ve never let go. She has been the shining light, who changed everything for us. Even in school, people would bully my sister and me for our bodies. We would cry ourselves to sleep, but Uma amma always told us to respect and love ourselves. I have written some songs for her that I want to release as an album someday. I want to make her proud with good grades and a well-paying job. I want to take care of her and my sister – they’re the most important people in my life. I can’t imagine what life would have been like if she hadn’t adopted us and treated us like her own. No words can express my gratitude. I want to open a shelter for children like me someday – nobody deserves to feel lonely and sleep without food. They deserve love and care. I got lucky and I want to make others feel blessed by giving them a better life too.”
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