The 11-year-old Princess And The Magic Potion

One summer night ex-brigadier Vidya Sagar, decided to narrate a story to his twelve-year-old granddaughter, Mahima. The story spoke of a brave princess, who won the hearts of thousands of people, and found a magic potion that changed her life. 

“There is no way I’m going to sleep before you tell me a story, dadaji.” 

The ex-army officer smiled at the young one’s stubbornness. Amused by her enthusiasm, knowing how persistent she tends to be, he went on to narrate a tale. 

“Okay, beta. Let me tell you the story of the bravest princess I know.”, he began. 

Eyes sparkling with curiosity, Mahima waited patiently for the story to begin.

Chapter 1: The Princess’s ‘Curse’

Image source: ImpactGuru

“The princess was like most other children when she was born. Happy. Mischievous.  She lived the happiest childhood you could imagine. But something unfortunate happened to her at the age of four, and changed her life forever.”

“What happened? Did someone curse her? Did an evil king capture her? Did-” 

“Well, not really. But she was faced with a big challenge. Of being trapped, not in a castle, but an illness. An illness called Spinal Muscular Atrophy,” he continued. 

“What is that?” Mahima asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion and concern.

“It’s a rare illness that only affects one out of thousands of people. And you know why this princess was one of the few to suffer from it?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Because the universe knew that she was brave enough to fight it. She was a warrior princess” 

“She sounds amazing. What happened next?”, asked Mahima. 

Chapter 2: The Princess’s Battle

Image source: ImpactGuru

“Because of the illness, the princess had to live a life different from everyone else in the kingdom. She couldn’t run around, chase her friends, or take a walk in the park. Her family did everything they could to make her life easier. But the princess felt trapped. She would wonder about all the things in the world she could not see. She dreamt about running around with her friends, and playing the games she liked. She would sit by the window, humming her favourite songs, looking at the world with wonder.”

Clutching on to her pillow, Mahima waited for her grandfather to continue. 

“Years went by, and there was no solution in sight. Although disheartened and exhausted, the princess was not the kind to give up. With the help of her family, she found out about a treasure that could help the princess win her battle.” 

The little one was brimming with curiosity. “What happened next? What was the treasure? Was it gold coins? Or a hidden box of jewels? A map that led to a magic river?” 

Vidya Sagar giggled at her innocence, and continued. “No, bachcha. Think of it as a magic potion. It was called Risdiplam.” 

“That’s an absurd name. How did the princess get it, then?” 

“It wasn’t very easy. This medicine was one of the most expensive ones in the world! But fortunately for the princess, she had hundreds of kind hearts rooting for her!” 

“Hundreds? That is a large number! How is that even possible?”, said Mahima, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“I told you, this fairytale is different from the others.” 

Chapter 3: The Princess’s Treasure

Image source: ImpactGuru

“Since the potion was hard to source, the princess and her family got help from ImpactGuru. A group of people dedicated to saving several people like the princess.”, Vidya Sagar continued. 

“With their help, the princess was able to reach hundreds of people. They were all touched by her story. And decided they would help get the medicine she needed.”

“That’s great news, dadaji! Was the princess saved?”, asked Mahima, as alert as could be. 

“Yes! She did. At the age of eleven, the princess was able to get the magic potion. Slowly but steadily, she was able to walk again, and was on her way to lead the healthiest, happiest life. ”  

“Dadaji, how do you know this princess? She sounds very familiar!” asked the young-one, with a suspicious look. 

“You know, I seem to have forgotten the rest of the story. Could you get me my notebook from the shelf?” he asked. 

“Yes! I need to know who this princess is, she sounds amazing and brave and courageous and-” Mahima said, rushing out of the room to get the book. 

Handing the book to her grandfather, she asked with anticipation, “Okay! Now can you tell me who she is?” 

Carefully turning through the pages of his book, Vidya Sagar said, “Oh there it is! Her name is Mahima. And look at what it says! She loves hearing fairytales from her grandfather.” 

“Am I the princess, dadaji?!” Mahima squealed. 

“Yes, silly. It was you all along.” 

Note: This story is inspired by the life of the 11-year-old Mahima Sagar. At the age of 4, she was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. More than 25 thousand donors came together to help her get Risdiplam for her treatment. The brave little girl put up an unbelievable fight, and is now on her way to recovery. You can watch Mahima’s story here.