"People look at me like an alien," says Dhanya Ravi, who is nicknamed the "glass girl" in India because her bones are so fragile that she has already broken them 300 times, even just climbing out. out of bed.
Dhania Ravi has a rare disease called osteogenesis imperfecta, characterized by increased fragility of bones.
People with osteogenesis imperfecta either have an insufficient amount of collagen, or its quality does not correspond to the norm. Since collagen is an important protein in bone structure, this condition causes weak or brittle bones. In most cases, the disease is inherited from parents, but individual spontaneous mutation is also possible.
Dhania, 27, was diagnosed when she was just 2 months old. Since then, a rare month has gone without at least one fracture for her. The girl calls her life "a long painful journey."
“Every time I break my bone, I try to hold back so as not to sadden my mom again. I just lie there and wait for the pain to pass. It is terrible to see my mother sitting next to me and crying, because she is very worried about me and my illness hurts her heart.
Dhaniya grew up almost without getting out of the wheelchair. According to her, it was very painful to watch other children running in the street, but she cannot do this and can only sit by the window and look at them.
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- It is so hard. Whenever I try to move, I break my bone. I can easily get broken out of my bed in the morning.
As a child, I had no friends, because I could not walk, run, climb trees. Instead, I played on the PlayStation with my brother. I also loved to play with the Barbie doll, she was my heroine.
Even now I sometimes feel lonely, because people look at me like an alien, but I have learned to cope with it, I use WhatsApp and go on vacation with my friends and mom. I recently received a new, more mobile wheelchair. I call it my BMW.
Dhania's disease was discovered by chance. When the girl was 2 months old, she began to cry loudly. Her parents took her to the hospital and found a fracture in her hip. Further observation allowed doctors to soon diagnose osteogenesis imperfecta.
Dhania remained under regular medical supervision for a long time and was fortunate that the doctors allowed her to live as normal as possible for her, "treating her like a princess."
Dhaniya even wanted to get an education and finish school, but she was not accepted due to illness, and then a woman neighbor volunteered to teach her at home.
- She's worth 10 teachers. She came to my house every morning and taught me for 9 years. And she did all this for free, without demanding money from my parents. And she also taught me that you always need to help others if it is within your capabilities.
Therefore, when, at the age of 19, Dhania found out that one guy with a similar diagnosis needed money for an operation on his leg, she made a decision and raised the necessary amount for him with the help of benefactors. Then she joined the ORDI and Amrithavarshini charities, which help people with osteogenesis imperfecta.
Now Dhaniya appears in various popular TV programs and shows, talking about her illness and enlightening people. She remains a very positive person despite her dire diagnosis.
