The Struggles of a Polio-Affected Young Man: From Education to Selling Credit Cards

Marzia Frotan

Herat, Afghanistan – Timor Shah Aryan, a young man crippled by polio in his legs, stands on a street corner in Herat city selling credit cards with crutches under his arms.

This 32-year-old disabled man explains that his father, a farmer, was unaware of polio and thus did not vaccinate him, resulting in him contracting the disease at one and a half years of age. The polio virus rendered both of Timor Shah’s legs disabled, necessitating the use of crutches to walk.

Five years ago, Timor Shah Aryan graduated from the Sharia Faculty of Herat University. Last year, he worked as a manager at a center for the rehabilitation of vulnerable children in Herat, but this center recently closed.

For the past year, Aryan has struggled with unemployment and has been forced to sell credit cards to provide for his family.

He earns between 100 and 150 Afghanis a day, which is a very small income, but he has no other choice due to the lack of job opportunities.

He added that he pursued higher education with great difficulty in the hope of serving Afghanistan, but the lack of employment opportunities has been very distressing for him.

He said, “Yes, I am physically disabled, but my mind is strong. I graduated with high honors from university. As a young person, I want to serve my country and people.”

 

Timor Shah Aryan, a young man crippled by polio in both legs, stands on a street corner in Herat City selling credit cards with crutches under his arms. © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/Marzia Frotan

 

Timor Shah Aryan’s wife, Maryam Qurbani, is also crippled in both legs and has been married to him for two years. They have a one-and-a-half-year-old son.

Maryam was also paralyzed by polio in childhood due to not being vaccinated and is permanently unable to walk.

 

As an educated person, her husband’s unemployment is a great distress to Maryam as well. She said that despite Aryan’s education, efforts, and motivation to work, he remains at home, which saddens her greatly.

She added, “We live very hard lives. When the man of the house is unemployed and there is nothing at home, living truly becomes difficult.”

According to Maryam Qurbani, in Afghan society, disabled people are generally viewed as incapable individuals and are not employed like other healthy individuals.

 

Poliovirus rendered both of Timor Shah’s legs immobile, necessitating the use of crutches to walk. © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/Marzia Frotan

 

Hatred for Polio

The mentioned couple expresses that polio has destroyed their lives, preventing them from achieving their dreams. Their biggest hope now is to protect their one-and-a-half-year-old son from polio.

Timor Shah Aryan stated that he ensures his child receives the polio vaccine in every campaign to prevent him from suffering the same fate.

He added, “In addition to regularly vaccinating our son, I also urge relatives and neighbors to vaccinate their children. We do not want others to experience the pain that my wife and I have experienced and endured.”

He noted that if his parents had vaccinated him in childhood, he would have had a healthy and prosperous life like other people.

Timor Shah Aryan asks parents not to let the polio virus ruin their children’s lives.

Maryam Qurbani emphasized that living with a disability in Afghan society is very challenging and requires great resilience.

In Afghanistan’s traditional society, perceptions of disabled individuals vary, and they are often regarded as incapable. Many people don’t want to marry disabled men or women, which forces many disabled men and women to marry each other.