Malvika Iyer lost both her hands in an accident when she was only 13 years old. She was bedridden for almost two years, and despite that she continued her education and emerged as a state topper in class 10. She completed her doctorate degree in Social Work in the year 2017, and today she serves as a motivational speaker and inspires people from all around the world.
Lucknow: Here is an inspiring journey of a brave hearted girl who persevered through countless impediments in her life and emerged as a shining star. Malvika Iyer was only 13 years old when her arms were amputated due to a terrible accident. She had to spend two years of her life on bed, and despite that she did not let anything deter her dreams.
Who is Malvika Iyer?
Malvika was born on 18 February 1989 in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. Her father, B Krishnan worked as an engineer in the Water Works Department. The family relocated to Rajasthan because of her father’s occupation. Malvika was a bright and active student and regularly took in part in activities like swimming and outdoor games. She is also a trained Kathak dancer. Malvika completed her PhD in Social Work in the year 2017.
Overcoming challenges
Malvika shares the story about her early life and how she met with the accident. When she was 13, the ammunition depot in her city caught fire, due to which fragments of hand grenades were scattered at various places in the entire city. A fragment of the hand grenade fell near Malvika’s house, and she was intrigued to know about it.
When she asked people around, she was told that it was just an inactive shell. Her curiosity rose, and she tried to poke that little piece with a stick first, and then hit it with a hammer. Something unimaginable happened and the shell exploded in her hands, causing severe damage to her body parts. Both her hands had to be amputated and she was bedridden for 18 months. Because of the loss of blood, she had fixators installed inside and outside her legs for 6 months.
Continuing education
Despite suffering from such mental trauma and being bedridden for almost two years, she remained persistent and continued her studies. She completed her class 10 as a private student and topped in the exams. Her father bought her a pair of bioelectric hands from a German prosthetic company called Auto Box. She practiced writing with the prosthetic hands and prepared for her board exams. Articles were printed in the newspapers when she emerged as the state topper, and this boosted her confidence to continue her higher education.
A meeting with the President
Malvika was invited to Rashtrapati Bhawan after she achieved this tremendous feat, where she had the opportunity of meeting the then President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. She was honoured with the Outstanding Model Student Award from Wisdom Magazine. She did her graduation in Economics from St Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, and then pursued post-graduation in Social Work.
A career as a motivational speaker
In the year 2013, Malvika Iyer was invited for a motivational speech at a TEDx event in Chennai. This event helped her find her muse and she knew what she wanted to do in her life. Today, she travels to various counties and inspires people to face and overcome all the challenges that their lives pose.
Former President Ramnath Kovind felicitated her with the Nari Shakti Award, and for a brief period she was chosen as the social media handler of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s accounts. Malvika serves as an inspiration for tens of thousands of people and stands as an epitome of courage and bravery.
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