Westworld Alberta

member story Freedom of Movement by Bharath Samrat H " e'll never walk." That's what the doctors in Bangalore, India, told my parents, when I was born with femoral dysplasia, a condition that left me without knee joints and unable to bend my legs. But as a child I proved them wrong: I stood up and created a stride all my own, lifting my legs and swinging them around my sides. For two decades, that served me just fine. Then I came to Canada. In January 2009, I landed in Calgary, having successfully applied to pursue a master's in mechanical engineering at U of C. I stepped off the plane and into a foot of snow. When I swung my legs here, I realized, I wouldn't be walking; I'd be shovelling. Ten days later, I was on the phone with my father, telling him I'd made a horrible mistake. I was cold, I was lonely and my feet were a bloody mess. But I stuck with it because, once again, I had something to prove. After six months, things started looking Kim Payant Photography p16-17_Member_Story.indd 17 up. I'd made some friends, had acclimated to the culture and was thriving academically. But getting around was still tough. I'd take the bus, walking long distances between stops, or, if I was lucky, catch rides with my friends. Until living here, I'd always considered driving to be a pipe dream. But I started hearing about people in similar situations to mine who were able, using modified cars. So, in late 2010, I started calling driving schools. None of them had the right kind of vehicle. Then, finally, through the Canadian Paraplegic Association, I got in touch with AMA Driver Education, which had a car that operated via hand levers instead of foot pedals. In late 2011, I started lessons. It took some time to master the accelerator – and a lot more to learn parallel parking – but after 20 hours under the patient tutelage of AMA driving instructor Cathy Mantika, I was ready. On December 31, I passed my test. And on January 7, 2012, exactly three years Bharath Samrat exercises his full range of motion with a day trip to Banff National Park; (left) the hand controls in Samrat's modified SUV. after I arrived in Canada, I hit the road by myself for the first time. Freedom! When I called home with the news, my father was practically bouncing off the walls. I wished my late mother, who had passed away in 2003, and had always encouraged me to push past my limitations, could have been there to share in the moment. Twenty-eight years ago, they were told their boy would never walk. Now he drives. Send us a story of how AMA has made a difference in your life. MemberStory@ama.ab.ca Westworld >> M A Y 2 0 1 3 17 13-04-12 1:01 PM

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