Arpana Darjee, sikkim (ST6114)

This is the case study of Arpana Darjee, born to Shri Amit Darjee and Smt Bishnu Maya Darjee, residents of Ranipool, East Sikkim. The family belongs to the BPL category and survives on a meager income of Rs. 5000/- per month. They own a kutcha house in which the entire family resides. In the course of interacting with the parents of Arpana Darjee, we were told that the nine months pregnancy period of her mother was uneventful and normal. She was regular with her checkups to the doctor. We were also told that the mother had a normal delivery and there were no complications in both the mother and child during the delivery. The child responded to all the normal procedures conducted by the doctor after birth. There was also some movement in the body and limbs indicating that the child was normal. The child did not show any signs of abnormality and there was also no indication of the child having any infection or symptoms of jaundice.

However, after six months, the child developed jaundice and suffered from high fever and had to be hospitalized. On examination it was reported that the child had some difficulty in controlling her neck when she was held up. She also showed signs of stiff, shaky arms and legs that resembled the shape of scissors. The child’s oral motor was also not developed and feeding her was a major problem. Further, even after six months, she continued to have poor head control and she was also not able to roll over on her own and needed the assistance of her parents. She was totally bedridden and lead isolated social life.

The Resource Teacher, Inclusive Education, visited her home and met the child and family members. The Resource Teacher counseled the parents on the responsibility of all the family members towards their physically and mentally challenged child. The family members were given counseling on how to cope with the disability of the child and its various problems. As the families’ meager earnings were not sufficient for providing higher medical facilities and treatment, the Resource Teacher also made arrangement for a Physiotherapist to visit the child once a week. It has been noticed that with the visits and guidance of the Resource Teacher and the Physiotherapist the child is showing some improvement in controlling her head, sitting with support and with her gross motor development. This has greatly encouraged the parents. They are now extremely positive, concerned and cooperative in dealing with the disability of their daughter and in further improving her condition.