*Mentally ill youth from UP lands in city, rescued* * A Selvaraj, TNN, Sep 18, 2010*
*CHENNAI:* An 18-year-old youth, reportedly found lying without food or water for several days on a pavement on Poonamallee High Road in Vanagaram, was rescued by volunteers of an NGO on September 9. After the mentally challenged youth said he hailed from Uttar Pradesh, the NGO managed to trace his parents. According to Udhavum Karangal volunteers, some passers-by informed them about an abandoned man on the middle of the road near Vanagaram. "Immediately we sent our volunteers to rescue him. He was wearing a dirty shirt and no trousers. He was unclean and was frightened to see people. Once he was brought to our centre, he was cleaned up and treated by medical practitioners. The doctors said he was hungry and very weak. He was administered glucose and other injections. Later, we took him to a counselling centre where information was gathered from him," Udhavum Karangal founder and director Vidyakar told TOI. "He was fluently in English and Hindi but was not coherent. There was no connection between one sentence and the other. However, he manged to speak about his native village of Gola Gokarannath Kheri in Uttar Pradesh which has a huge Lord Siva temple. His parents had tatooed his name Tusshar Sharma'on the right hand," a volunteer from Udhavum Karangal said. "We tried to locate the address with the help of some NGOs in UP and managed to get through finally. We spoke to Tusshar's mother Shyama Sharma, who had been bedridden for 2 and 1/2 months. Tusshar is the fourth child of Shyama and Vijaykant Sharma. After her husband's death, Shyama was living with her three daughters and Tusshar in the village where the family ran a grocery shop. In May, Shyama took her son to meet a priest at a temple in Ambala from where he disappeared. Shyama searched for her son before lodging a complaint with the police. The case was reported in many newspapers in Uttar Pradesh," the volunteer added. "When we informed Shyama about the rescue of her son, she said the family members were rushing to Chennai. They are expected here on Monday morning. Tusshar could have landed here by a train from Delhi," Vidyakar told TOI. *[email protected] * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6575928.cms?prtpage=1#ixzz10jyOy2vU * * *Mentally ill youth from UP reunited with family* * * *TNN, Sep 21, 2010* *CHENNAI:* An 18-year-old mentally challenged youth, who was rescued from a pavement on Poonamallee High Road in Vanagaram by volunteers of an NGO on September 9, was on Monday handed over to his family members. It was a emotional meeting, those who witnessed it said. Tusshar Sharma, dressed in a full-sleeved white shirt and black trousers, burst into tears on seeing his uncle Dheeraj Sharma and cousin Lokesh Sharma at the office on Udhavum Karangal, an NGO, in Tiruverkadu. "His aged mother Shyama Sharma, grandmother Motia Sharma and his three younger sisters are eagerly waiting for his return to their home town of Gola Gokarnath in Uttar Pradesh. On Tuesday morning, we will leave for New Delhi by train and then board another train for our native place. We expect to reach home soon," Dheeraj Sharma told TOI. During the train journey, he added, they would keep a close look on him. It may be recalled that Tusshar Sharma was found lying in the middle of the road near Vanagaram by some passers-by who then informed Udhavum Karangal. "We sent our volunteers to rescue him. He was wearing a dirty shirt and no trousers. He was unclean and was frightened to see people. Once he was brought to our centre, he was cleaned up and treated by medical practitioners. The doctors said he was hungry and very weak. He was administered glucose and other medicines. Later, we took him to a counselling centre where information was gathered in snatches from him," Udhavum Karangal director Vidyakar told TOI. Sources said Tusshar was the fourth child of Shyama and Vijaykant Sharma. After her husband's death, Shyama was living with her three daughters and Tusshar in Gola Gokarnath where the family ran a grocery shop. In May, Shyama took her son to meet a priest at a temple in Ambala from where he disappeared. Shyama lodged a complaint with the police. The case was reported in newspapers in Uttar Pradesh. Another of Tusshar's uncles Rajnesh Rikhye, talking to TOI over the phone form Delhi, said, "We are thankful to the NGO which rescued Tusshar and helped return him to us." *[email protected]* http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6595771.cms?prtpage=1#ixzz10jyRtL00 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. 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