METRO DETROIT (WXYZ) — After surviving a bomb blast, a Michigan-based motivational speaker has a simple yet powerful message for all: no matter what life throws at you, never give up.
Dr. Malvika Iyer moved to Michigan in 2018 from India. The 35-year-old has a PhD in Social Work. And besides being a passionate artist and dancer, she also takes pride in being a daughter, sister, and wife.
"I love taking care of my home, I like doing the dishes, the laundry, taking care of my cats, making my husband's coffee first thing in the morning, I love doing all that," Dr. Iyer said.
However, Dr. Iyer's biggest strength comes from being a motivational speaker and a disability rights advocate.
"I like to use person first language, so I'm a person with disability and not a disabled person because when you see a person with a disability you see the person first. You see what they are, what they like," Dr. Iyer said.
Dr. Iyer was 13 when she lost both her hands in a tragic accident in Rajasthan, India.
"I would have died that day definitely," said Dr. Iyer.
"What happened that day?" I asked her.
"26th May 2002 is the date, even the time of the accident I know 1:10pm, because the accident happened in my room and the clock stopped," said Dr. Iyer.
Dr. Iyer remembers looking for a hammer to complete her art piece. The search took her outside, where she came across a rock-looking object.
"It looked heavy, it looked fine, and I thought this would do, so I came, and I hit it, and it exploded," said Dr. Iyer.
Dr. Iyer was told the object was a partially exploded hand grenade that came from a nearby ammunition depot.
"As soon as it exploded, I lost my hands, nothing could be saved. The worst happened to my legs, multiple fractures, nerve paralysis, loss of sensation, And I spent the next two years bedridden. In a fraction of a second, I lost all of it," Dr. Iyer said.
And that was just the beginning of her pain and suffering.
"I still remember, the first time, I cried bitterly after my accident was not because of losing my hands or the pain I was undergoing, it was because my very close neighbor was telling my mother that now your daughter has become a liability to you," said Dr. Iyer
It was at that point she had to make a choice.
"Not everyone gets a 2nd shot at life," Dr. Iyer said.
Since then, Dr. Iyer has been on a mission to share her story of courage and determination, inspiring millions of people to forget their limitations and take on the world with confidence and hope.
"I got the award from the president of India, I got to speak at the UN, I got to speak at the World Economic Forum, I got to do a PHD, I got to walk the ramp as a showstopper," Dr. Iyer said.
"When you hear people coming up to you and saying thank you for sharing your story, you've changed our lives. Does it change your life?" I asked.
"It's very hard to live in this body. When someone comes and tells me I've changed because of you, or I've decided not to give up because of you, I take this as my life's purpose, and that's what keeps me going," Dr. Iyer said.
