THE DANCING LADY.

She entered my clinic with an amazing grace. Miss Hemaben was a 40 year old lady, with a rare condition. All her movements occurred with peculiar synchronicity, the bobbing head, swaying trunk and sweeping movements of her hands. Her facial muscles were also constantly moving in agitation, sometimes to reveal a smile or a frown or sometimes a stiff inexpressive mask.

I lovingly called her 'The Dancing Lady'.

She walked with such a gait, falls were always around the bends and corners. Her bruised knees were the usual victims of such falls. However, she was a very charming lady. She was still happy to live her life without any assistance, a fiercely independent lady! The tremors in her hands prevented fine movements and she would frequently spill the tea or water on her gown, which she favoured wearing, as it was a zipped one. Buttons were her biggest enemies.

She suffered from Huntington's Chorea, a rapidly progressing disease of the brain centres which controlled motor movements and fine co-ordination. From onset, the disease would worsen in around 5 years' time. Her deceased father had the same disease and had left her early in life. Back then, there was hardly any awareness of this disease and the primitive treatment usually consisted of exorcising the so thought of demons which had possessed him.

She wisely remained a spinster as this condition would be transferred to her off spring and did not want them to suffer. She suffered alone though. Genetic diseases are being widely diagnosed now and many a counsellor is responsible for preventing births of known diseases. But, there is no treatment. Prevention is the only way. At least, adoption seems a favourable and a noble option for such distressed couples.

The Dancing Lady told me one day, Maybe, she was a unfulfilled dancer in her previous life and God was just making her dance to his tunes. She could not express her sadness due to her ever changing facial tone but the tears in her eyes were slowly trickling down like dew drops from a dead yellow senescent leaf. She was single and now required a full time maid to carry out her basic activities also. Her movements increased to such an extent that she had to be restrained to a bed. Soon the dreaded infections attacked her with all their might, she slowly succumbed to the eventual dance of death. She had died at a young age and had a lot of inherited wealth, along with her disease. There were no heirs or dependents to stake a claim.

She bequeathed her entire property and wealth to a small school.

The school teaches dance to rich and poor alike and they do not charge a single penny from anyone.

The teachers expect only a small garland and a silent prayer for the giant coloured photo frame, greeting everyone at the entrance, of the donor, Miss Hemaben !