Case Study: Shayra Shaikh (Age: 90)

Name: Shayra Shaikh

 Age: 90

 Address: Shramik Vasahat, Karve Nagar, Pune

A Journey from Darkness to Dignity

At 90 years of age, when most people are surrounded by family, Shayra Shaikh was living a life of quiet isolation. Alone in her small home in Shramik Vasahat, Karve Nagar, Pune, she had no children and no close relatives to care for her. For the past 90 years, she had been managing life on her own with minimal facilities and surviving only on her modest old-age pension.

As her age advanced, so did her struggles. Her vision began fading, slowly turning her world into a blur. Constant watering of her eyes and severe pain made even the simplest tasks, such as cooking food, walking across the room, or stepping outside, frightening and exhausting. For someone living alone, losing eyesight meant losing independence, safety, and confidence.

When the field team of the VridhaMitra Project by MASHAL NGO visited her locality, they found Shayra sitting quietly in her dimly lit home, struggling to recognise faces. Realising the urgency of her condition, the team immediately referred her to the Sanjivani Eye Check-up Camp organised nearby.

The diagnosis was heartbreaking yet hopeful, with cataracts in both eyes, requiring immediate surgery.

With no immediate caregiver, the team reached out to her nephew, Abbas Shaikh, informing him of her condition and the risk she faced if treatment was delayed. They also helped him navigate the process of applying for the Government Urban Poor Health Scheme (Shahari Garib Yojana  SGY), ensuring that financial barriers would not stand in the way of her treatment. Abbas brought Shayra to his home so she could receive proper care before the operation.

Once the health card was issued, she was admitted to the hospital. Through the SGY scheme, the government provided ₹1,47,500, covering the entire cost of her surgery and medical treatment.

The operation was successful.

For the first time in years, Shayra could see clearly the faces of people around her, the sunlight entering her home, and the path she walked every day. Her joy was indescribable. She smiled as she spoke about being able to cook again, move freely, and live without fear of falling or injury. What many of us take for granted had been returned to her the gift of sight, independence, and dignity.

But the support did not stop there.

Living alone still meant daily challenges, especially accessing nutritious food. Understanding this, the VridhaMitra team coordinated with local leader Chandrakant Patil to arrange a free daily tiffin service for her. Today, Shayra receives warm, nutritious meals every day, a simple gesture that has transformed her health and happiness.

The team continues to visit her regularly, checking her blood pressure and sugar levels, ensuring that she is not alone in her journey anymore.

Shayra’s story is not just about medical treatment; it is about restoring dignity, rebuilding hope, and reminding an elderly woman that she is seen, valued, and cared for.

At Mashal, we believe that no one should be left behind. Every elderly person deserves to live with dignity, security, and compassion.