I was doing my Masters in Computer Application and was going for reporting in my college by train. I had worked the whole night before and I boarded the train with one other friend. It was a little dark, I was in a hurry, and mistakenly we boarded a wrong train. We were having a great time in the train and when our station came and the train didn't stop, we both got puzzled. We freaked out because we would lose marks if we could not give that presentation in college.

What happened to my mind then, I still wonder now. Someone on the train told us that the train we were on gets slow sometimes on that station. I decided to jump from the running train onto the next station. I had made up my mind, whereas my friend insisted on waiting until the train stopped. So there it was. I jumped from the running, super fast train and that was when I lost my right foot. I was not able to see it, as my eyes were closed, and when I opened up my eyes I saw people standing by me and looking at me. I suddenly came to know that I have lost one of my feet as there was no sensation of it.

One of the guys informed my parents and near and dear ones to come at that location. I fought back with the pain until I got operated on in the evening. My biggest strength was my father and my fiancé, who were there with me and gave me moral support.

The next morning I was there on the hospital bed with my dear ones around me, and my life was turned upside down. I became a below knee amputee. During the stay in the hospital I heard about a lot of cases like mine from my sister and doctors, and they felt that I had not lost anything in my life and it was God’s grace that I was alive.

After a month of this I went to my college to took the Viva exam with my dad. A month later, I got the results that I passed my Masters with First Class and I got my degree. I attended my Convocation after my prosthetic fitting. I had 7 days to get adjusted with the prosthesis, and then life had a new beginning. My doctor helped me a lot, as there were a lot changes after my new leg got fitted. My leg shrunk a lot as the day would pass and I felt the pain on the bone and had to wear more socks to minimize the gap.

My prosthesis is comprised of a silicone liner, which fits into a plastic socket and I have a pylon below it, with a Multi Flex Foot.

I joined an IT firm after 3 months and got settled all alone in a new city. I live now an independent life and when people come into contact with me, they can't even judge that I am wearing an artificial leg. I have to tell them that I am a below knee amputee. I am getting married to my love and with her support and strength, I am living a peaceful life that I didn't thought I could have after my accident.

So here's a brief story of mine. I will just say that Life is not so easy and we should live each moment of it. You never know what happens with you in the next second.


Ashish Srivastava
QA Engineer
Gateway Technolabs Ltd.
Ahmedabad