A group of people suffering from thalassemia staged a play on 4 January 2012 @ Delhi. Titled ‘Parda Utane Se Pehle’, the play is a comedy that has also been directed by a thalassemia patient.
“Thalassemia has affected our life, but not our spirit of living. Our life is as normal as an ordinary person has, the only difference is that we have to go through blood transfusion after every 20-25 days. The only thing that hurts is, we do not have better job opportunities as being thalassemic, we are declared medically unfit for jobs,” said Aruna Chabra, a performer.
“The main motive behind doing this play is to create awareness among people about thalassemia. In India, people are not aware about what thalassemia is. Besides this, we want to motivate people for blood donation, as four crore Indians are estimated thalassemia carriers. We want to spread this message that their little contribution can save a life” opined Upasana Ajmani, director of the play.
“I was two-years-old when my parents came to know about my disease. In the beginning, it was really tough as after every twentieth day I had to go through blood transfusion but as time passes, it has now become a part of my life,” said Rabia, a performer in her twenties. She further added that it is for the first time, that she performed in front of live audience and it means a lot to her.
The performers were part of the Thalassemia Children Welfare Association, which has 352 members. The association is involved in conducting blood donation camps for thalassemic patients throughout the year. The play is being presented by Creator’s Sarvjanik Trust.
Source: Indian News Dailies, Indian Express