Woman, Previously Believed Deceased, Resurfaces and Reunites With Family After Seven Long Years in Uttar Pradesh
In Bareilly, a profound reunion transpired as a 55-year-old woman, previously assumed deceased, was found and reunited with her family seven years after her disappearance.
Hailing from Gaddayan Mohalla near Jama Masjid, Kasganj, the mentally challenged woman had vanished while visiting relatives. Owing to extensive search efforts and a police report, her whereabouts remained a mystery, leading her family to believe she was no more. Subsequently, they performed her last rites.
A heartwarming turn of events unfolded on Sunday, due to the relentless efforts of counselling psychologist Shailesh Sharma from Razau Parsupur, Bareilly. He discovered her identity during therapy sessions, revealing she had been found in Amaria, Pilibhit, on December 12, 2018. Subsequently, she was placed in Nari Niketan under Sub Divisional Magistrate orders.
Upon her admission to a government mental health hospital in Bareilly, she began receiving medical treatment from senior psychiatrist Dr Alok Shukla. As part of her recovery, counselling sessions organized by Sharma's NGO Manosamarpan played a significant role in helping her recall essential details about her family.
Touched by the news of her sister's miraculous return, Khalid, one of her brothers, expressed his disbelief and gratitude upon receiving the call from Bareilly. The family in Kasganj, who had given up hope of ever seeing her again, was now rejoicing in her presence.
Dr Pushpa Pant Tripathi, Director of the hospital, revealed plans to assist in reconnecting all fully-recovered patients with their families. This will involve cooperation with social workers and, if necessary, seeking the help of law enforcement agencies and social organizations.
This moving story underscores the crucial role mental health hospitals and NGOs play in facilitating the reunification of mentally challenged persons with their families, contributing key aspects such as identification, therapeutic support, legal and administrative facilitation, counseling, memory recovery, and community support.
Science and general news reporting might have unfolded the story of the mentally challenged woman who was found in Amaria, Pilibhit, seven years after her disappearance in Bareilly. Mental health professionals like counselling psychologist Shailesh Sharma, senior psychiatrist Dr Alok Shukla, and the team of Manosamarpan NGO played pivotal roles in her identification, treatment, and memory recovery. In the realm of health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise, her family found their mental health deeply impacted by this unexpected turn of events, as they joyfully received their long-lost sister back. The crime-and-justice system also played a part in her care, with the Sub Divisional Magistrate's orders placing her in Nari Niketan.
