Today we’d like to introduce you to Dhara Shah
Hi Dhara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Dhara Shah. I am from Gujarat, India, and currently live in Dallas-USA. I got married in 2012 and moved to USA with my husband Siddharth. I got pregnant in 2018. Like every women, I also started waiting for my child with the desire to become a mother. I too thought so much for my child that when my child comes I would play with him/her like this, I will take photos with these poses, I will get all the toys whatever he/she wish to, and prepare all the favorite dishes, and many other things I had thought of, even when I went for delivery, I had prepared new clothes, a crib and many other things for my child. But I didn’t know that all this will remain a dream for me.
My story begins with my delivery, I got admitted to Medical City,Plano hospital in Feb 2019 for my delivery. My labour lasted for more than 27 hours, After induce and pushing hard for quite a while, OBGYN Dr. Shuchi Desai ,told us my pelvis is small for natural delivery and we have to go for c-section. We did got OR after approximately two and half hours of waiting for the OR. I gave birth to a very gorgeous son after more than 27 hours of labor. I barely saw my son for a minute and I get unconscious, I started to bleed heavily, due to heavy bleeding my heart stopped. CPR was attempted for around 90 minutes. And yes after long CPR, my heart started beating again but I fell into a coma. Procedures like oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) and partial hysterectomy (removal of uterus) were conducted. They put me on dialysis due to kidney failure. By doing a puncture in the lungs, few liters of fluid was removed. My right hand was exposed due to fasciotomy. My both hands and legs developed gangrenes due to vasopressors as I was told. I came out of coma after around 7-8 days. They amputated both my legs below the knees, my right hand below the elbow and fingers and half thumb of my left hand. I had a surgery of skin grafting also. Thus I had tons of surgeries one after the other.
But when I came to my senses, I don’t know from where I got so much courage and strength that I handled the situation with courage. I was still in the hospital and when I got a little stable, my husband told me that our son has a genetic disorder and there is no cure for it. So we don’t know how much time we have with our son. Still, I showed some courage and we had to stay in the hospital for almost 4 and half months for my recovery.
After I recovered, we came home and forgot about my son Maahir’s illness and started living with him like I wanted to. Because no matter how much time was left, I wanted every moment memorable, not being sad. I could only stay with Maahir for a short time and just the day before he turned 10 months old, he closed his eyes while playing.
It was very shocking for me but I thought that my son had to endure so much at such a young age, and I am his mother so I have to show courage. I began to work on exercise and finally stood up from the wheelchair by myself and started taking steps. With much courage and my husband’s support, we moved forward with happy memories of our child. At present, with the help of a prosthesis, I can easily walk about 2 miles. I’m fond of cooking, so I can easily cook for about 15 people.
I’ve completed three 5K races in Dallas with my prosthesis. I’ve also received many awards for women empowerment.
I have also started my own YouTube channel called ‘Dhara’s Wonder Life’ to give a message to the people that there is nothing you will get by giving up and sitting back. If only you stand on your fear and fight against the situation, you can win everything.
My Youtube channel – Dhara’s Wonder Life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The journey has been anything but smooth. It has been marked by immense challenges and heart-wrenching losses. After a difficult delivery, I faced a life-threatening situation that led to a coma and multiple surgeries, resulting in the amputation of my limbs. Coping with these physical changes was one part of the struggle, but the emotional pain of losing my son Maahir, who had a genetic disorder, was even harder to bear.
Despite these overwhelming challenges, I found the strength to keep going. The support of my husband, Siddharth, and my family has been crucial in helping me rebuild my life. I had to learn to walk again using prosthetics and regain my independence. It wasn’t easy, but I refused to let fear and pain dictate my future.
Starting my YouTube channel, ‘Dhara’s Wonder Life,’ was a way to share my story and inspire others to fight against their difficult circumstances. The road has been tough, filled with struggles, but through resilience and determination, I’ve found a new purpose in life. My journey is a testament to the power of courage and the unwavering belief that, even in the darkest times, there is always hope.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a housewife and now a social media influencer. My motivational videos are giving people a lot of courage, and that makes me very happy and proud of my work.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My personal experience is, my physiotherapist “Dawn Kelly” is one of the strongest pillar of my progress. I had to learn everything again from standing, walking, running etc. My husband and our family’s love and encouragement have been the foundation of my strength, motivating me to keep moving forward with confidence.
Contact Info:
- Website: Dhara’s Wonder Life
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dharaswonderlife?igsh=MWpkM2p6bGdkMmM4OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dharaswonderlife?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@dharaswonderlife?si=kmZXLA2_MTWwIpUQ
Image Credits
Dhara Shah – Dhara’s Wonder Life
