A New Limb, A New Life: Indian Army’s Artificial Limb Centre Restores Hope for 11-Year-Old Girl from Jammu and Kashmir

Eleven-year-old Jyotidevi Joginder Singh from Juthala village, near the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir, has found her smile again. After losing her right leg below the knee in a tragic landslide on August 10, she received a custom-made prosthetic limb at the Artificial Limb Centre (ALC) in Pune—giving her not just mobility, but renewed confidence and hope.

From Despair to Determination

Jyotidevi, a student in Class V, faced unimaginable hardship after the accident. Her father, a farm worker, and her mother, a homemaker, struggled to cover even the immediate medical expenses. The family had to borrow money for her amputation surgery at a private hospital in Pathankot, leaving them unable to afford a prosthesis. “We had accepted that our daughter might have to spend her life on crutches,” said her mother, Somadevi, recalling the bleak days after the incident.

A Lifeline from the Indian Army

Help came from an unexpected source. Moved by the family’s plight, a local infantry unit of the Indian Army stepped in. The soldiers visited the family, reassured them, and arranged for Jyotidevi and her parents to travel to the ALC in Pune—one of India’s foremost rehabilitation centres for prosthetic and orthotic care.

For a young girl who had never travelled beyond her border village, the journey to Pune represented both fear and hope. Upon arrival, a multidisciplinary team at the ALC assessed her condition, age, and level of amputation before designing a custom carbon-fibre prosthesis tailored to her needs.

Technology Restoring Childhood

Jyotidevi’s new limb is made from lightweight, high-strength carbon fibre components—designed for durability, comfort, and natural movement. “The prosthesis mimics the gait pattern of a natural limb and allows her to walk, run, and play again,” said an ALC officer. “With practice, she’ll regain full independence in her daily activities.”

When she took her first confident steps, her parents could hardly hold back tears. “We used to carry her everywhere. She couldn’t go to school for months. Now she can walk to class like other children,” said Somadevi. Her father, Joginder Singh, added, “The Army didn’t just give her a leg—they gave her back her smile, her childhood, and her dreams.”

Service Beyond Duty

Brigadier C.N. Satish, Commandant of the ALC, described Jyotidevi’s case as an example of the Army’s deep humanitarian commitment. “Our mission goes beyond military duty. We are equally committed to rebuilding lives, especially in remote and border regions,” he said. He also praised the local army unit for facilitating the family’s travel and logistics, ensuring a seamless experience. “This reflects the Army’s human side—service beyond duty.”

At the ALC, civilians and soldiers are treated side by side, benefiting from decades of experience and innovation in prosthetics and orthotics. The centre’s multidisciplinary rehabilitation programmes combine technical excellence with compassionate care—turning tragedy into triumph for many like Jyotidevi.

Expanding Access to Care

Inspired by success stories such as Jyotidevi’s, the ALC is now working on outreach initiatives to expand prosthetic care to underserved regions. “We’re planning mobile units that can deliver basic prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation support directly in border and remote areas,” Brigadier Satish said. “Every person who regains mobility regains dignity—and that is our true mission.”

For Jyotidevi, that mission has already come true. Beaming with joy, she said, “Now I can play with my friends again. I love the Indian Army!”