International Women’s Day is not only about identity, but also legacy. Thus, here’s to a woman professional putting down her life’s work and experiences into a body of work that hopes to bring in young talent to a profession as noble as it is rewarding.
Originally drafted by the late award-winning Occupational Therapist Aruna Padmakar Tole, head of the Department of Occupational Therapy at Mumbai’s premier Tata Memorial Hospital—“Enable” is a one-of-its kind memoir cum textbook for budding occupational therapists. The book has been redrafted and co-authored by her daughter the noted TIFR neuroscientist Dr. Shubha Tole, and journalist-writer Kalyani Sardesai, ten years after Aruna Tole passed away.
“The book was my late mother’s long-standing dream and the sum of her life’s work,” said Shubha Tole. “It took some time and effort to redraft and simplify a technical, para-medical text into a work that can be read and understood by young professionals and students on the cusp of choosing a career.”
Given that the original writer is no more—and the massive treasure trove of source material on hand, Shubha reached out to Kalyani Sardesai, and together, they redrafted the book with a first section that is more accessible to a non-specialist audience, and a second that is more technical and has valuable educational details for students and practitioners of OT.
The descriptions of the prostheses, aids and appliances Aruna Tole created are unique original designs, each one customized to the needs of individual patients. Most of her patients were from economically strained backgrounds, so cost and Indian lifestyle were guiding principles in her designs. “A knee and ankle joint must flex completely, or the person cannot squat” she would say, and then go ahead and fabricate one.
In the words of K Kasturirangan, former chairman of the Indian Space Resource Organisation: “People like Aruna Tole need to be honoured by every segment of society because the relevance of their work is much broader than the conventional professionals. Her boundless energy, creativity and compassion made all the difference in bringing much needed life and succor to patients when they needed help, a valuable contribution to humanity. My late wife was one of those touched by her grace and dedication.”
“The book includes case studies and experiments she carried out in the course of rehabilitation and demonstrates by example how a gifted and driven professional can go above and beyond the accepted norms and raise the bar. Above all, it brings home the point that no technology is above the human touch,” said Kalyani Sardesai.
The book will be donated to medical libraries and OT training programmes across the country as a tribute to Aruna Tole. Enable was formally launched at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel at the hands of directors C Pramesh and Dr Sudeep Gupta on March 2.
