Prutha Goa

Nalini Cardozo had been married to her husband since 1996, and the happy marriage had produced three children, who doted on their father. In 2010, however, her world of bliss came crashing down with the sudden demise of her soulmate. He succumbed to a viral attack which was suspected to be swine flu, but the details were never investigated. She was too shattered following his death to make any further inquiries. All she knows is that the virus attacked his lungs. Two teenaged boys and a younger daughter were left in Nalini’s care. But for the family support from both sides, she says she might have not made it. One can sense the pain in her voice as she confides, ‘All of us go through the “why me?” stage. I read a lot of positive thinking books. This was the only way I managed to keep my sanity. Family has been a big blessing. It helps to talk to somebody who knew him.’ Financially, there was no problem. She had been employed at a travel company throughout the marriage and works there e

Stacy Rodrigues has come a long way in her life and has truly been through a trial by fire. She suffers from a congenital disease called heredomacular degeneration that leads to gradual bilateral decrease in vision starting in early childhood or the teenage years. Stacy realised that something was different about herself much before her parents did. But her attempts to convey this awareness to the people around her were met with scepticism. Teachers would berate her for not putting in an optimal performance. She was considered lazy and received physical punishment on occasion. Reading became arduous as it would take up to ten minutes to recognise each letter and often there would be confusion with letters that were similar like ‘a’ and ‘o’. Stacy’s other senses were strengthened while she focused on her auditory sense to deal with her educational hurdles. This became her best shot at learning and she managed to just barely pass her examinations in school. Her parents became convinced o