Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | March 08, 2019

International Women’s Day Special

Fit as a fiddle, super confident, and wearing her scars as a badge of honour. Mitali Sonawane, a girl once declared dead at age six, is now storming the beauty scene.

On International Women’s Day, we are Opening Doorz to her story. In 1999, a simple accident became a catastrophe. Doctors at Mumbai’s JJ Hospital declared her dead, but her mother, Vandana Vilas Sonawane, refused to accept it. She moved her “dead” daughter to Masina Hospital, where Mitali lay in a coma for 11 days.

Dead on arrival… then, a glimmer of hope

Then, a glimmer of hope: Mitali’s eyelids began to flutter. The family’s relief was immense, but the grim work of rebuilding her life was just beginning. The entire left side of her body was infected, her face disfigured.

Today, Mitali is a well-known name in the fashion world, walking the ramp and inspiring everyone she meets. She has transformed her scars into stars, refusing to be defined by what fate dealt her.

“I just wanted my daughter to live,” says Vandana, a Railway Police Head Constable. “I never thought about her looks. To be honest, I was worried later on, but Mitali drove the gloom away, telling me she was fine the way she was.”

That was a huge relief for her mother. “I could finally smile with her without worrying about her appearance. My daughter was alive, and that was the most important thing. She was in the right frame of mind, spreading positivity around.” Mitali, who holds a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance, is now a powerful inspiration, proving that true beauty is found in inner strength. Having walked the ramp, attended auditions, and participated in various events, Mitali is a force, not willing to back off. A guiding light for those in despair; if Mitali can, so can you!

What happened in 1999, when Mitali was six years old? Let’s hear it from her mother.

“We were at a relative’s place since there was a death in the family. Mitali was coming down the ladder, and there was a hot water utensil, which she accidentally hit with her leg. The boiling water fell on her chest. We rushed her to JJ Hospital, and since there was no place in the Burns Ward, she was placed in the General Ward. Burn patients have to be kept in an isolated Burns Ward where there is no chance of infection. Within seven days, a simple burns case turned tragic. Her entire body turned septic, and doctors at the JJ Hospital declared her a ‘gone case’. She had turned cold. Doctors told us that they could do nothing now. We took her to Masina Hospital. I said to myself: ‘Here they have declared her dead, there too they will declare her dead’. That’s the worst that would happen.

“At Masina Hospital, the doctors admitted her but told us that there is no guarantee, but we will try. For 11 days, Mitali was in a coma. When she opened her eyes, the doctors said they would try and do something for her, but the surgery would be costly. I told the doctors that I would sell my house and raise the money, but I will do whatever it takes to save my daughter. Hearing me, Dr. Arvind Vartak and his team, who treated her, decided to waive their fees and performed the surgery successfully. Mitali was in the hospital for two months, completely bandaged, and when she was discharged, the doctors told me to take care of her because she could not afford to get another infection. The entire family rallied around her. Me, my husband, mother and even my brothers!”

After the miracle, the worry

“At that time, I just wanted her to live. I wanted my daughter back. But as she was growing up, I began to worry, and at age 12-13, I wondered what her future would be like with her left side fully scarred. Mitali stopped me from thinking on those lines. She told me: ‘How I look, what the others say, will I get nasty comments’ is not something she was worried about. She taught me to overlook all this. ‘I am feeling fine, so you should not worry’, she told me. I felt good hearing these words from her. Now, nothing matters to me because she is strong and confident about herself. My granddaughter, who is six years old, tells Mitali that she is her role model!

Mitali is on her quest for the beauty crown!

Mitali is sure about the path she has chosen. “I hate the typical 9-5 job,” she smiles, adding, “My family is happy with the profession I have chosen, and all are very supportive. I have received tremendous support from the fashion industry, and that has helped me in my quest. Everywhere I go, people are curious to know what happened to me. And they are happy that I have chosen this path. The best part is, no one is sympathetic and sympathy is not something I’m looking for,” says Mitali, who recently did a course at Cocoaberry, Talent and Academy, the brainchild of Alesia and Anjali Raut.

“I came back with lots of confidence as well as polished myself in certain areas and became more aware and what to expect in this industry. There, too, I received a lot of support from the girls who were genuinely happy for me,” reveals Mitali.

“There is something in me, and I want to inspire people. I went to Cocoaberry because I want to be part of Femina Miss India, which is the best platform in India for any aspiring model. At Cocoaberry, the girls told me that I was an inspiration to them. When I participated in the Femina Miss Diva contest, I got a standing ovation even though I was not selected. I’m now preparing for the Femina Miss India auditions, which are on March 24 in Mumbai.”

Mitali recently shot for a pageant called Unconventional Beauty, which will be aired on television in April. Ask her which brands she would like to endorse, and she says “Reebok and Nike,” without batting an eyelid. Why sports brands, we ask. “Because I am into fitness,” she beams.

Also Read: A skate park in Janwaar

Also Read: Worrying about the future is something I never do