Stop this sibling goals, your heart will melt, etc pic nonsense - Page 3

Kolkata: She hobbles wearily down a narrow staircase, her limbs - frail and limp - precariously moving in every direction. Faltering at every step, her unsteady legs tremble as she takes one wavering stride after another. Her husband clutches her arms, tightening his grip around her slender waist. Often, he carries her on his back. The couple walks down narrow alleys in central Kolkata to reach a one-room office. For 50-year-old Shamim Ahmed and his 45-year-old wife Neena, this has been a daily routine for the last eight years, ever since the latter contracted Huntington's disease - a debilitating neurological disorder that severely affects limb movement and memory.

With none to take care of Neena, Shamim is left with no option but to take her along to work. While he attends to his clients - Shamim runs a small travel agency at Nilmadhab Sen Lane off MG Road - Neena slouches on the stairs leading to the room. He feeds her at lunch time and by late afternoon, once Shamim's agency has flagged off its last bus to Rajgir, they inch back home.

"It's a struggle but probably this is our destiny. She won't get any better but as the husband, it is my duty to look after her and ensure that she has a good life. I can't leave her at home for she can't even walk to the toilet on her own. Neena can't ask for help either since her speech is affected. So, I stay by her side every minute, even when I am working," said Shamim.

heir only son stays with his uncles since there is barely any space for him in the dingy 10X10 ft room. Shamim doesn't want him to get bogged down by his mother's illness. "He has just started working and has a bright future ahead of him. Neena is my responsibility and I must not shirk. This is a test of my commitment to Neena and I will stand by her as long as I live," says Shamim. The couple has been married for 25 years.

He says he was heart-broken when a neurologist told him in 2007 that Neena will never recover. "The doctor said it was a genetic disorder and her condition will slowly worsen. I didn't lose hope, though, and consulted half-a-dozen more doctors but none could hold out any hope," he said. Slowly, Neena started losing control over her limbs and her memory ebbed rapidly. By 2009, Neena could barely walk without support and was left with hardly any memory of the last 10 years. "The only thing which she can recall is her mother's death two years ago. But she is still eager to go on holiday trips and vividly recalls all the trips she has been on over the last one decade," said Shamim.

The couple has been to places like Darjeeling, Sikkim and Rajgir in recent years. Now, Neena is keen to visit Vaishno Devi in Kashmir and the couple plans to embark on the trip soon after winter. "Everyone is left surprised when I tell them that we still go on trips. It's not easy, but if you have love and compassion, no barrier is insurmountable," Shamim said.

His neighbours describe him as 'exceptional'. "Most in his place would have given up after a point, but not Shamim. He has stuck by her like a rock. Even his son loses his patience, but not Shamim. He spends more than half of what he earns on her treatment," said Mohammed Akhtar, a neighbour.

Funding her treatment is a burden for him, but Shamim has been consulting the best doctors. For the last three years, Neena has been treated at the Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata (INK). The slump in Neena's health has been arrested ever since, felt Shamim. With sustained treatment, her condition could improve marginally, felt Hrishikesh Kumar, head of neurology at INK who is now treating her. "Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder. A complete recovery is difficult, but with continued treatment she can remain active for many more years," said Kumar.

Shamim, too, is keeping his fingers crossed. "I will be there for her always. And I wish she dies before I do or else there will be none to take care of Neena," Shamim signed off.

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