Vadakara: When illness took away the mobility of one, they became one body and one mind. Fate may have tested them, but love endured.

Chetil Preseedharan and wife Bindu, from Mepayil, Vadakara, have lived this truth for more than three decades. It has been 35 years since Bindu was diagnosed with a spinal tumour. Preseedharan fell in love with her knowing her condition and married her regardless. Fifteen years ago, when Bindu became bedridden and lost the use of her limbs, Preseedharan dedicated himself entirely to her care.

A day at their home

Preseedharan’s day begins at 4:30 AM. He prepares breakfast, lunch, and curries. Between household chores, he lifts Bindu in his arms, helps her to the toilet, bathes her, and feeds her. By 7:30 AM, he leaves for work as a plasterer. In the evening, he returns home and resumes his caregiving duties.

“She needs me for everything… I have no other world without her,” Preseedharan says. Bindu smiles in response.

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Struggle since 1990

Bindu’s health struggles began in 1990, with neck pain while she was in the 10th grade. A diagnosis of a spinal tumour led to surgery at Sree Chithra hospital. It was during her pre-degree studies at Sagar College, Vadakara, that Preseedharan’s affection for her grew. Even knowing about her illness, he never wavered.

The couple married in 1993 and had a daughter in 1995. In 1998, the disease returned, requiring two more surgeries, and Bindu’s mobility gradually declined. No treatment restored her movement, and eventually, she became completely reliant on Preseedharan.

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Their son was born in 2003. The family lives in an unfinished house, sleeping on a single bed in the kitchen. Their daughter Ahaliya is married, and their son Kiran works in an event management company. Despite this, financial struggles remain.

Years of lifting Bindu multiple times a day have taken a toll on Preseedharan. Recently, he developed back pain severe enough that doctors advised a month of rest, forcing him to pause work.

In a gesture of support, some of Bindu’s classmates stepped in to help ease the family’s financial burden. Classmate Khadeeja and palliative care worker Reghunath Vellacheri facilitated the assistance.