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She lost both hands in a blast, then a surgical error became a ‘silver lining’

Dr. Malvika Iyer’s dropped a tweet that perfectly reflects the optimism with which she looks at life.

Updated on: Feb 19, 2020, 18:51:11 IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
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Dr. Malvika Iyer’s story is of courage, endurance, and determination. She was only 13-year-old when a gruesome bomb blew her arms off. Undeterred by the tragedy, she, however, showed the strength to become a PhD scholar and an international motivational speaker.

She is a PhD and a motivational speaker. (Twitter/Dr. Malvika Iyer)
She is a PhD and a motivational speaker. (Twitter/Dr. Malvika Iyer)

Just a day back, on February 18, she took to Twitter to share a post on her birthday. And, it perfectly reflects the optimism with which she looks at life.

“Happy birthday to me. Today I want to share with you an excerpt from a speech I delivered at the United Nations,” Iyer tweeted. “When the bomb blew up my hands, the doctors were under a lot of pressure to save my life so they made some surgical errors while stitching back my right hand,” she added.

In a few more tweets, on the same post, she further explained that “the stump has a bone protruding out which is not covered by any flesh.” “If I hit my hand against something, I’ll die of pain. But that very mistake has proven so incredible that the bone acts like my only finger. That’s how I type!” she added.

She then wrote how every experience, small or big, is precious to her. Also added, she takes joy out of the smallest things in life.

She ended her thread by thanking people for being her “cheerleaders” and “showering her with love” every day.

Take a look at her tweets:

People were in awe of Malvika Iyer and her inspirational story. Their reactions expressed the same. While some wished her on her birthday, others talked about her being an inspiration.

“You are an inspiration...more power and love to you Ma’am.. Many many happy returns of the day Ma’am,” wrote a Twitter user. “Happy Birthday Inspiration,” commented another. “She is the actual “Shero”. The one who herself is motivation!” wrote a third.

“Dr. Malvika Iyer is an award-winning disability rights activist with a doctorate in social work,” says her website. She is also a TEDx speaker and a model for accessible fashion.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trisha Sengupta

Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.

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