Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak occurred, you would have definitely come across a number of people who would have had various reasons to not wear a facial mask while going out. Some found the mask too suffocating and uncomfortable, while others complained of an irritable itch. Pramodini Roul too had a reason - she does not have an ear lobe to hold the mask's elastic end.
Pramodini's face was disfigured, and her eyes and ears were damaged gravely a decade back when a jilted lover poured a vial of acid over her head. Years of treatment, surgeries and therapies later, she is back to normal life and believes that every problem has a solution. In a video, this acid attack survivor from Cuttack demonstrates how she uses a face mask that is tied behind her face and not the regular one which has elastic ends.
"My fiancee had got a few masks from his office, but I couldn't wear them. They slid over one's earlobes and since I do not have a right earlobe, it would slip off my face. So, I covered my face with a scarf a couple of times," says Pramodini. "But I always believe that every problem has a solution. So, I got myself a set of masks that can be tied behind one's face," she adds.
Pramodini is overwhelmed by the support that she's been receiving from people since she uploaded the video on her Facebook and Instagram handles. "I shot the video myself, keeping my phone on the table. I had no idea that people will be so appreciative of this. These are tough times and we must take extra care to make sure that we are safe," she says. Pramodini, however, is yet to go out wearing this mask. "I've been staying indoors since the government announced the lockdown. I will only go out once things are back to normal. I also had to miss my ophthalmologist's appointment in Chennai, owing to this," she says.
Now what is stopping you from wearing a mask?
