Bihar: Jamui girl Seema gets artificial limb

PATNA: 10-year-old Seema, who recently hogged the limelight for her relentless spirit of walking down to school with an amputated leg, was excitedly walking on both feet on Friday after wearing a prosthetic or artificial limb provided by the state education department.
Officials claimed that the prosthetic limb was made by the Bhagalpur unit of Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC) and the education department is conducting a survey of children with disabilities across the state.

Seema said she was very happy and will continue to pursue her ambition of becoming a teacher. “I am feeling very happy and thankful to everyone. I will continue to pursue my ambition of becoming a teacher,” said Seema, who studies in class IV at Fatehpur Middle School.
Jamui DM Avaneesh Kumar Singh, who had visited Seema’s 'kutcha’ (mud) house at Maoist-affected Fatehpur village of Khaira block on Wednesday and gifted her a tri- cycle, told TOI on Friday: “The prosthetic limb has been provided to Seema by the education department. We had already given her a tri- cycle and a wheeler- chair. We are glad that she has now been provided with the prosthetic and we expect that she will get accustomed to walking by wearing it in around a week.”
The DM added that a survey is also being conducted of children up to 18 years with such disability and they will be provided the required equipment, including hearing aid and wheelchair among others. “The door- to- door survey started from May 25 and it will conclude on June 10,” he said.
Jamui district education officer Kapildeo Tiwari said the measurement for making prosthetic limb for Seema was taken on Wednesday and it was ready by Friday. “The engines from BEPC had come to take the measurement and they developed and delivered it this morning. Accordingly, we came to the village and gave it to Seema. We have identified more such children in the district under the ongoing survey for children with disabilities,” he said.
He added: “Such children can be students of the government and non- students as well. Few such children have already been identified in Jamui and Chakai blocks in the district and camps will be set up in June to provide them the required aid.”
While Seema has got the artificial limb, she has already got much attention and appreciation from people from across the country, after videos of her hopping to her school a kilometre away from her home went viral earlier this week. Bollywood actor Sonu Soood tweeted that he was sending her a ticket and she will walk on both feet. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also wrote on his Twitter handle that Seema’s enthusiasm made him emotional and every child wants a good education.