Daughter of Balwinder Kaur

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 9

A mother’s love for her children knows no limits. It is deeper than any ocean and vaster than sky. Balwinder Kaur’s kids are wheelchair-bound, suffering from cerebral palsy and intellectual disability, and she has been taking care of them with the same determination for many years now.

The tale of the 57-year-old, a symbol of strength, unconditional love and positivity, is extremely heart-piercing. Her elder son is 32 and her younger daughter is 21. From their bathing, eating, to making their night comfortable, Kaur manages all on own. Although, she sometimes takes help from the caretaker, but prefers to attend to them personally. Her son has been under the knife six times. Recently, because of a clot in the brain, her daughter remained in coma and now she is completely bedridden and just to make sure that she doesn’t develop bedsores, Kaur’s whole night drifts by keeping a check on her. Her husband, the agony of the prevailing circumstances seems to have trampled him, as he is suffering from depression.

Balwinder Kaur with her cerebral palsy afflicted son in Jalandhar

Kaur can feel the weight of the world growing heavier with each day passing. However, she rises early morning, goes to gurdwara – the place where her hope is rejuvenated and faith takes flight – and prays for her children’s health. She has to be strong for her family and love is what keeps her going. “There is nothing that I haven’t done for my children. I have made them go through multiple therapies and training which have helped them a little but not wholly. I used to go to Mumbai with them for their treatments,” she shares. The mother has visited every place where there she could see a glimmer of light for her kids.

Ask her what gives her so much strength, she replies, ‘bhagwaan pe vishwas’ (faith in the God). “I have reached here with both my children just because of the Almighty. Their condition for sure has affected me in life, but it was only my belief in God and my love for them that kept me positive.” She makes them listen to ‘Shabad’ all the time to give them strength as well.

But the shadows of past threaten to eclipse the times ahead for her children. “I often think about what will happen in future. Who will take care of them, but then I pray and remain optimistic agar yahan takk laaye hain bhagwan, aage bhi sab theek krenge,” a sound Kaur says, as if feeling the presence of the Almighty beside her.