5 months after
Pooja Dadwal was admitted to Sewri TB Hospital, the actress has beaten the
deadly infection and has been discharged. Pooja,
who acted in the Salman Khan-starrer Veergati in 1995, weighed a mere 23 kg
when she was admitted at the hospital in March.
Now, she is
healthier and 20 kg heavier. However, it was a difficult journey to recovery.
The actress was abandoned by family when she sent out a cry for help to
Salman. On learning about her former co-star’s ordeal, the superstar’s
Being Human Foundation intervened and supported her.
Pooja Dadwal Then And Now
After getting
discharged from the hospital, Pooja headed to Goa. She told Mumbai Mirror, “I
can’t describe how I am feeling. When I was hospitalised on March 2, I thought
I was going to die there - bedridden in a corner of that depressing ward. My
family and friends had abandoned me. I gave up all hope after the doctors told
me that my lungs were severely affected. Incessant coughing and breathlessness
had left me weak. And I saw so many like me, dying all alone – their friends
and family, like mine, had deserted them. But then I decided that I don’t want
to end up like that. I decided to fight, to not let the disease win. Yes, one
of the side-effects of tuberculosis is social rejection but I am really
thankful to Salman Khan who lent me the support. From clothes to soaps,
diapers, food, medicines, his foundation took care of everything. If I survived
the ordeal, it is only because of him.
Dr Lalit Anande,
medical superintendent of the hospital, further told Mirror, “Pooja fought this
deadly bacteria only because of her will power. When I first met her in the
ward, she told me, ‘I want to walk again, please do something so that I can
stand on my feet and walk again’.”
Pooja Dadwal
Image Source: Viral Bhayani, jansatta & mumbaimirror