Sametha Krishna Saravanan, 21, was rendered wheelchair-bound after a driver hit her motorbike from behind, and did not stop to help her at the scene of the accident. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle)
SEREMBAN: In February this year, while riding her motorbike to class in Sendayan, Sametha Krishna Saravanan suddenly felt a car slam right into her from behind, sending her flying off the bike and crashing into a pole.
The 21-year-old sustained multiple internal injuries, including damage to her pelvic bone and knee, injuries which have left her wheelchair-bound.
Nine months on, and the young woman still cannot walk, and desperately needs treatment, yet the lack of finances is proving an obstacle her father, R Saravanan Raju, cannot overcome on his own.
FMT Lifestyle visited Sametha and her family at their Sendayan home recently, where her father explained what happened that fateful day.
“The car behind her wanted to overtake her. It was not a highway but a normal single-lane road.
“The car tried to overtake her, but there was an oncoming vehicle on the opposite lane. So, the driver swerved back into the lane, and that’s when the car hit her motorbike’s back tyre,” he said.
Sametha recalled: “I remember a Malay uncle came to help me. From there I was taken straight to hospital.”
Sametha’s father R Saravanan Raju, is appealing to the public for financial assistance to fund his daughter’s medical expenses. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle)
Saravanan recalled seeing his daughter in unbearable pain after the accident. Despite filing a police report, the lack of CCTV footage meant the case could not be investigated.
As the eldest of six siblings, and one of four daughters, Sametha grew up in a household where her father encouraged his girls to be independent.
“I wanted to raise them just like the boys. So she would always take the bike to go wherever she needed to,” Saravanan said.
Sametha once aspired to become a bridal makeup artist and was pursuing a coaching course in the field when the accident occurred. She is now studying for a diploma in management at Asa College through online classes from home.
Sametha suffered various internal injuries as well as damage to her pelvic bone and knee as the result of the hit-and-run accident in February this year. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle)
Despite what she’s been through, Sametha is grateful for everything in her life. “My family including my siblings help me out a lot, and they make me feel normal.”
Since the accident, Sametha has faced a range of serious medical issues: a pelvic bone injury, right-knee dislocation with probable multi-ligament damage, and lower-limb vascular and nerve complications, resulting in reduced blood flow and limited toe movement.
With no insurance coverage, Saravanan juggles multiple jobs, including working as a security officer, to support his children’s education and to pay the rent. He is now appealing to the public for help to fund Sametha’s medical treatment.
With six kids to raise, Saravanan hopes the public will help raise close to RM180,000 so his daughter can be treated in India. (Andrea Edmonds @ FMT Lifestyle)
Unable to hold back his tears, Saravanan said: “I just want my daughter to be able to walk again. She was a very active girl before.”
Saravanan said that long waiting times and conflicting opinions from specialists in Malaysia pushed him to seek healthcare options abroad about his daughter’s condition.
The family reached out to a trusted doctor in India who gave Sametha an appointment for Dec 23.
The estimated cost, which includes treatment that may involve hip replacement surgery, totals RM250,000.
Earlier this month, Saravanan held a fundraiser, raising RM70,000. However, he still needs RM180,000 to cover all his daughter’s medical costs.
To help Sametha walk again, kindly contact her at 019-565 2222.
