Hope! Differently-abled find perfect life partners

DIABLED MAN'S MISSION: Himself a disabled person, George has till now conducted close to 2000 such marriages.

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New Delhi: Forty-two-year-old Simon Geroge has a unique mission in life - to help differently-abled people find the perfect life partner.

Himself a disabled person, George has till now conducted close to 2,000 such marriages.

In 2004, George set up Prathyaashaor Hope to help find life partners for the differently-abled. Since then, the organisation has become his life's mission.

It is perhaps his own personal tragedy pushes him to help others. George suffered a viral attack when he was just 21 and has been wheelchair-bound ever since.

“After what I went through in my life, I decided to dedicate my life to this programme. Everybody has a dream of finding a life partner. But for the differently-abled, it is a very tough job. Hope is for all people without any discrimination of caste or religion,” says George.

Sabu and Nelgi are both deaf and dumb, however, it's more than their disability that they share with each other. Today, they share their life.

A few years ago, this was something many like them in Cochin could not have even thought of because finding a suitable partner for the differently-abled was a near impossible task.

However, with George’s help, this impossible mission has become a reality.

“We came here four years ago with out girl as we could not find a suitable groom for her. Luckily she met Sabu and they immediately liked each other. This year we have come searching for a groom for Nelgi's cousin who is also deaf,” says Nelgi's father, Devassay Kutty.

The success of George's mission was visible at the Town Hall in Cochin where close to 1,500 people turned up on Wednesday and by the end of the day, 29 marriages were registered, a testimony to the fact that life gives everyone a fair chance.

(With inputs from R Reghuraj in Cochin)