Page 5 - January 2022 BSTTW Community News

5 BSTTW COMMUNITY NEWS

CONTINUED From Page 4 “BODIES” worked extensively on different projects in the social sector for
in one place, helpless. She was considered as the last 9 years.
a ‘kaccha limbu’ /invalid and rejected for not
being ‘normal’. The trauma of growing up was Suggested Care For Pressure Garments
magnified, as fitting in became the only goal.
Anamika made concentrated efforts to look Pressure Garments are custom designed and made
pretty to compensate for her feet. for each person. This makes them quite expensive.
In order to keep the garments in good condition so
The paramount importance given to ideals of one may gain the most benefit from them, here are
physical appearances, mostly for women, has some suggestions for their care:
secluded a certain section of society that does
not fit into the mould of beauty or ‘normalcy’. Closely follow your therapist instructions on putting
on or removing your garments. As well as any
There are thousands of people with written instructions that came with them.
disfigurement living in Mumbai alone but the
probability of meeting these thousands is If you feel that your pressure garments do not fit
reduced to one in a month. I wonder, why is the correctly, contact your therapist immediately.
ratio so abnormally imbalanced? The answers
over the years have evolved into more It is best to hand wash in warm water using only a
questions. The paramount importance given to mild liquid laundry detergent. Rinse the garments
ideals of physical appearances, mostly for extremely well to remove all traces of detergent. It is
women, has secluded a certain section of best to wash your garments daily. For small
society that does not fit into the mold of beauty garments try washing them in a lingerie bag.
or ‘normalcy’. Deviant looking bodies
(disfigurement) have been enshrouded with Gently squeeze excess moisture out of the garment
myth, religious beliefs and fear causing and roll the garment in a towel to further remove
disruption in attitudes and behavior. moisture. Hang to dry in the shade.
Disfigurement is defined as an altered physical
appearance which can be congenital, due to Avoid drying the garment in the sun and never use
accidents, burn injuries, surgical intervention, a tumble dryer or heater. This would cause rapid
skin deformities, illnesses or any other reason. deterioration of the fabric.
Hence disfigurement, though not a physical
liability, creates a disabling impact due to social If you swim in a chlorinated swimming pool, or in
prejudices and apathy by society, particularly salt water, rinse the garment well afterwards.
for a woman, as she is overburdened with
expectations of being a perfect (socially Avoid where possible, unnecessary wear and tear.
acceptable) daughter, a wife and mother. For example, if wearing pressure socks or
stockings, wear regular socks or shoes over the top
We at Palash Foundation deal with these core to help protect the sole of the garment. Should
issues of accepting differences. Our core holes appear in the garment notify your therapist as
program addresses social reintegration and soon as possible. Contact your therapist if zippers
livelihoods for people with disfigurement. We are malfunctioning.
currently work along with the social work
department of LTMG (Sion) and Kasturba When using moisturizers on the skin beneath the
Hospital in Mumbai with burn survivors and garment, make sure to massage the moisturizer
their caretakers and simultaneously conduct well into the skin. Surplus cream can get trapped in
sensistisation and awareness talks to different the fibers of the fabric and prevent the garment from
groups of people on disfigurement. To know working effectively. (Test have shown that the use

more visit www.palashfoundation.in. of vitamin E creams and petroleum based creams

can cause deteriorations in the fabric)
*Names changed on request to protect privacy. We hope this information has been helpful, we
would recommend you to maintain regular contact
About The Author About The Author: Shirin Juwaley, 37, is with your therapist to ensure that the garment is
an acid attack survivor. She is the Founder, Director of fitting well. Do not hesitate to contact your therapist
Palash Foundation, an organization that strives to create
an inclusive world where the rights of people with if you are concerned about any aspect of the
disfigurement are respected and protected. She has pressure garments.