UP CLOSE … with Daniel Savy, chairperson of the Seychelles Disabled People’s Organisation-‘An accident changed my life but not my personality’ |13 December 2011
“I received all the necessary medical attention and care and a lot of support from my family, but unfortunately my leg could not be saved,” says Mr Savy.
The fall resulted in a compound fracture and gangrene had set in. Despite all medical intervention, five days later Mr Savy saw his leg amputated above the knee.
Looking back on this sad event which changed his life and career path, Mr Savy says it did not change his personality though.
“I remained myself and I did not for once lose hope. The loving care and support of my family and health professionals helped me to cope and come to terms with the accident,” he says.
After months in hospital, Mr Savy took some time to get use to moving about using wooden crutches propped under both arms.
“I continued to live my life and do things any ordinary 16-year-old would do,” he laughs.
He remembers his childhood at Copolia where he says he had a simple but wonderful and interesting life, living in a family where all the members were so close and united, helping each other out and sharing whatever they had.
The second child from a family of seven children, Mr Savy has always lived with his grandparents as his parents worked on the island of Farqhuar.
Swept by a wave of nostalgia, Mr Savy cannot help laughing out loud when he remembers some of the stories his parents told him of the time he spent with them on Farqhuar when he was a small boy.
But for Mr Savy, the most exciting time of his childhood was with his family at Copolia.
“My family reared farm animals and it was a pleasure for me to help look after them all,” he reminisces.
Mr Savy remembers so very well all the details of many school holidays he spent helping his uncles, grandparents and other relatives tending the vegetables they grow and milking the cows and later delivering the milk to various households in the vicinity.
“We were not rich people but we lived well because we produced a lot of the things we needed,” he remembers.
Another interesting activity which Mr Savy takes pleasure to share with me is the process of making charcoal. This, he says, was quite long but exciting because at the end the charcoal was sold by tin containers called ferblan and again he helped with the delivery.
“I grew up surrounded by my family and for me this way of life was fulfilling, exciting and an opportunity to discover new things,” says Mr Savy.
He says this simple, humble, caring and sharing way of living mould him into the simple person he is today.
Lucky to benefit from good education
Looking back at the kind of education he received at that time, Mr Savy considers himself lucky to have benefited from a good education. He attended school up to primary 6 at Plaisance. He recalls those days when the school was very small and some of its pupils had to attend classes at the former National Institute of Education (NIE).
Mr Savy followed secondary studies at the St Louis Modern School and at the age of 12 he was among the first few students to attend lessons there in 1962 and for three years he studied, among other subjects, typing, shorthand and commerce in one package.
He recalls those days being taught by Irish Brothers who formed a large part of the teaching staff.
“Those school days were among the best of my life and I made the most of it,” he says.
Mr Savy remembers those days when there were no school buses and pupils had to walk all the distance from Copolia to St Louis and back every day.
“But it was a way of life back then,” he says.
Throughout his education, Mr Savy had a keen interest for the nursing profession. An interest which was gradually developing until that fateful August 30, 1965 when he was left with no other choice but to change course where his career was concerned.
Professional working and family life
Today Mr Savy is a well known and respected figure in society for his active role in being part of a group of disabled persons who, back in the late 1980s, oversaw the setting up of an association for the disabled and the establishment in 1993 of an Act which a year later created the National Council for the Disabled.
But how did he manage?
Mr Savy proudly tells me that in spite of his disability, he never for once sought any welfare benefit. In fact he started work as a clerk back in 1966 on a meagre monthly salary of R137 which was considered quite a sum at that time. But his desire to move on and achieve much more in life led him to take on a correspondence course to broaden his knowledge in the English language and accounting. He eventually received his A-Levels in these two subjects.
Adapting to his first artificial limbs in 1970 was another interesting breakthrough in his life.
“I was so happy as I was able to move about more easily,” he recounts.
At a time when it was widely believed that only old people lose limbs, Mr Savy laughs when he tells me about some of the things the young people of his age at that time asked him about his disability.
But Mr Savy continued to persevere and move on with his life, taking on several other jobs with more opportunities and prospects.
He even fell in love and married his sweetheart in May 1971.
The father of seven children – one of whom unfortunately passed away at a young age -- Mr Savy is today a very contented grandfather as well, with 11 grandchildren.
Mr Savy is a person who believes in hard work to be successful in life and for him losing a leg early in life did not stop him from being successful and raising a family, something he says has made him proud.
“My family is my life and my children are all doing well in life,” he says.
He says among the best moments of his life is when the grandchildren are around.
“Their shrieks of laughter and childish chatter make me a contented and fulfilled person,” he says.
Now that he is no longer in employment Mr Savy says he is concentrating on doing his own private small business as a public scribe, helping other people.
He does not want to talk about retiring.
“For me there is no such thing as retirement because I believe a person should be always on the move and doing things he or she likes and enjoy doing. And I believe I will continue to do what I enjoy doing as long as my health allows me,” he says.
As for the time spent helping to advance the cause of the disabled, Mr Savy says he will continue to be an active member of this community as long as he is able to take part in all the activities organised.
At present he is also the secretary of the Association of the Districts’ Disabled Support Group.
Recalling the various seminars and workshops he has attended to promote and defend the cause of the disabled in the region and the world, Mr Savy says he has learned so much and he will continue to devote all the time he can to advance the cause of the disabled in our community.
“Through my travels and visits to other disabled communities of the world I have learned a lot of things and I have also realised that the plight of our disabled are not as bad as those that I have seen,” he says.
But Mr Savy says all over the world disabled people do a lot of interesting things and projects which help them feel they are part of society but not outcasts.
He says there is a lot more that our disabled could learn and he will devote his time to help them achieve that.