Disabled in a road accident, Manu Babu remains committed to fulfilling his dreams

Manu Babu, 22 years old, hails from Kottayam in Kerala. He met with a bike accident in May 2019 after which his left leg was amputated. Manu has re-build his life now. An ardent bike lover and rider now, Manu hopes to support his family and also build a house for them. A disability has not stopped this youngster from dreaming big.

Manu Babu from Kottayam in Kerala lost his left leg in a road accident on May 2019. The first few months as an amputee was tough for this youngster, but he decided to re-build his life. Manu hopes to complete his studies, find a job, live independently and support his family. Always passionate about bikes and long rides, Manu rides his own bike now. According to him, the encouragement and support that his friends and family gave him is what helped him come out of the tough days after an amputation.

An accident that changed life

Manu had completed his class 12, did a course in Information Technology and simultaneously learnt to operate CCTV cameras. His dream was to open a CCTV shop which was near to becoming a reality. Life was going perfectly well for Manu and his dreams were coming true when fate intervened. While riding his bike, a speeding car came and hit Manu. The next thing he remembers was opening his eyes in the hospital with his left limb amputated.

“I was shocked and depressed. Those were the days when I cursed my fate. But thanks to my bunch of great friends who stood by me through those dark times. The support and encouragement that they gave helped me to dream of a new life. I could come out of depression. My family comprising of parents and sister also stood by me”, says Manu.

This youngster believes that though an unexpected event happened in his life, nothing much has changed even today. He is able to carry on with his life just like how he did earlier.

Re-building a new life

Manu has big dreams and hopes. He is gearing up to study further and wants to write the Kerala Public Service Commission exams. He loves to play cricket and football too.

Manu, who always loved bikes, has started riding his bike now after amputation. “Initially I was scared, but my friends used to sit behind me and gave me confidence. I take my bike and go to places now. I believe that is one way of being independent in spite of having a disability”, he says.

After the Coronavirus crisis, Manu hopes to ride to Ladakh in his bike. “That is my biggest dream”, he says.

Ask him what made him so positive in life and pat comes the reply, “Those who hit me with their car is living a happy and peaceful life. They are the ones who must feel depressed and angry, not me. So I decided to look at the brighter side of life”.

Manu has an artificial limb, but he tries to not use it much. Instead, he walks around with the help of crutches. He wants a job to support himself and his family. The house that he lives in now is small, so he hopes to build a bigger house for his family so that they can all live happily.

“I have seen people who live with bigger problems than me. So I decided to overcome all hardships and have a positive outlook towards life. Do what your heart asks you to and the whole world will support you”, says Manu.

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