Did you know that the Venus Queen was born on Valentine’s Day?
Tuesday - February 14, 2017 4:34 pm ,
Category : WTN SPECIAL
I guess it did not ring a bell; well does Begum Mumtaz Jehan Dehlavi click your mind about who we are talking about? Well no more confusion, we are talking about the heartthrob of millions from the golden era none other than Madhubala.
She was well known as the Venus Queen during those times, in Greek mythology, Venus is supposed to be the goddess of love. Unfortunately, she had a serious disorder since birth it was a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), a disorder colloquially referred to as a “hole in the heart.” A congenital abnormality of that kind allowed for the mixing of both normal oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood to be shunted through her body–an unhealthy adulteration with a bad prognosis. While a somewhat common birth defect (1 in 500 babies are born with a VSD), the medical community’s understanding of the condition was in its infancy–VSD had first been described in 1879 and at the time of Madhubala birth, there was no treatment. Yet Madhubala continued to grow into a vivacious and beautiful young woman whose health issue was for many years known only to a few. Perhaps if Madhubala had was born just a few years later or if Dr. Lillehei (Clarence Walton Lillehei, was an American surgeon who pioneered open-heart surgery, as well as numerous techniques, equipment and prostheses for cardiothoracic surgery) had begun his famous experiments just a few years earlier, Madhubala would have lived to see long enough to celebrate her 84th birthday today with us. It was Madhubala’s early death itself that has kept her in our minds as a forever beautiful, forever carefree young woman who will remain always elusive.
Perhaps it was not a coincidence with a birthday on Valentine’s Day that Madhubala would grow up to become one of the most beloved romantic heroines of India.-WTN
She was well known as the Venus Queen during those times, in Greek mythology, Venus is supposed to be the goddess of love. Unfortunately, she had a serious disorder since birth it was a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), a disorder colloquially referred to as a “hole in the heart.” A congenital abnormality of that kind allowed for the mixing of both normal oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood to be shunted through her body–an unhealthy adulteration with a bad prognosis. While a somewhat common birth defect (1 in 500 babies are born with a VSD), the medical community’s understanding of the condition was in its infancy–VSD had first been described in 1879 and at the time of Madhubala birth, there was no treatment. Yet Madhubala continued to grow into a vivacious and beautiful young woman whose health issue was for many years known only to a few. Perhaps if Madhubala had was born just a few years later or if Dr. Lillehei (Clarence Walton Lillehei, was an American surgeon who pioneered open-heart surgery, as well as numerous techniques, equipment and prostheses for cardiothoracic surgery) had begun his famous experiments just a few years earlier, Madhubala would have lived to see long enough to celebrate her 84th birthday today with us. It was Madhubala’s early death itself that has kept her in our minds as a forever beautiful, forever carefree young woman who will remain always elusive.
Perhaps it was not a coincidence with a birthday on Valentine’s Day that Madhubala would grow up to become one of the most beloved romantic heroines of India.-WTN
