Disabled At 2, Pooja Does Everything With Her Feet

Differently-abled Guj girl amazes with feat Surat: Where there is a will, there is a way; most of us heard of it, but a few live it. Pooja Gupta, 12, lost her hands to polio when she was just 2. However, a decade later, she stands tall on her feet, which are, in fact, also her hands.      From making rangoli to mehendi, painting to doing household chores, this enthusiastic kid insists on doing everything on her own using her feet. She has won many awards for her creative skills in rangoli, mehendi and painting. "I love doing things on my own. I eat with my feet and do my dishes too. However, what I really enjoy is making rangoli, mehendi and painting. I love colours and they make me happy,'' beams Pooja.      Born in the slums of Pandesara, the catastrophe struck her family when Pooja was diagnosed with the disease. Her mother became mentally unstable soon after and her father shifted to Varanasi, deserting little Pooja. Learning about Pooja's ailment, Kanubhai Tailor, president and founder of the Disabled Welfare Trust of India, took her under his wings and slowly started to train her.      Physically challenged himself, Tailor nurtured Pooja's talents. "She is a special child and is blessed with immense concentration and determination. Having won many competitions, she has brought a lot of pride to the school,'' Tailor said.      With Diwali just a day away, Pooja is brimming with energy and spends most of her time in making rangolis. "I love doing flowerrangolis. Not only are they colorful, they are also fragrant and seem very welcoming.'' Her smile fades the moment you ask her what she is doing this Diwali. "All my friends are going home to their parents. I have nowhere to go. I'm planning to learn a few new things during the holidays and spend time with Tailor sir's family.'' PERFORMING FEATS: Physically-challenged Pooja Gupta makes rangoli using her feet in Surat