Thilanka’s Journey to new horizons

Thilaka Kumari, who is 47 years old, lives in Matale with her mother. Her father passed away a year ago, and both mother and daughter have faced numerous challenges in life. While Thilaka’s family is large, consisting of eight members, they all live independent lives.

Thilaka was born with a congenital deformity, and at the age of seven, she visited the Centre for Handicapped to receive her first artificial limb. As she grew older, she moved to Colombo to work and support her mother and father. During this time, she obtained another artificial limb from a different centre, but it was not very comfortable for her.

Eventually, Thilaka returned to the Centre for Handicapped in Kundasale in search of a better-fitting artificial limb. However, she could not afford the special limb, which was quite expensive, so she was placed on our waiting list for some time.

Fortunately, a kind-hearted donor came forward to gift her the much-needed special artificial limb. Overjoyed by the news, Thilaka visited the Centre the very next day. Measurements were taken, and a custom-made artificial limb was designed for her. The new limb was fitted, and the dedicated staff patiently trained her to walk with it.

While the disability allowance she receives from the Government covers her basic living expenses, Thilaka hopes that she will eventually be able to start a successful business for her livelihood.

She expressed her heartfelt thanks to the generous donor, saying, “I am immensely grateful to the kind-hearted donor who provided the artificial limb. I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to the dedicated staff at the Centre for Handicapped for their kindness and unwavering commitment to individuals like me.”