In test against odds, these students wrote a chapter of success
LUCKNOW Just a month before the final examination, Madhavi Upadhyay, 17, passed out at school. She remained unconscious for about six hours, after which she was in the Intensive Care Unit for a week. The girl was diagnosed with a neuro attack, which landed her on a wheelchair, but her grit and confidence to appear in the examination remained intact.
A student at Rani Laxmi Bai Memorial School, Upadhyay scored 91% (PCB stream) in the CBSE Class 12 examinations, results of which were announced on Tuesday.
'I was losing weight constantly and had high fever, when one day, I suddenly fainted at school. I was rushed to the hospital where I regained consciousness after six hours. I had completed my syllabus months before the examinations, which helped me cope with the revision along with my medical condition. Initially, I was in doubt if I will be able to write the examination, but my parents, teachers and friends continued to be my cheerleaders throughout my journey,' said Upadhyay who also thanked her teachers and friends for sending her notes from the revision over WhatsApp.
'I was wheelchair-bound during the exams, but took the papers after having a heavy dose of medication for the pain in my legs, which also made me feel sleepy. Consistency in studies and constant support from people around me helped me excel,' said Upadhyay whose father works in an NGO and mother is a homemaker.
She was not the only one; there were other students who overcame the odds.
Shubham Bharti, a student at Army Public School (SP Marg), who was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a muscular disorder in childhood, scored 91% marks in his CBSE class 10 exam. The disorder causes weakness in skeletal and heart muscles that quickly worsens with time.
'The disorder causes problems in writing. I was given an hour extra to write my examination. With each passing year, I am losing my writing speed. I did self-study for about eight hours daily. My parents supported me by motivating me to study and excel in studies,' said Bharti whose mother is a housewife and father an Army man.
Kashish Yadav, a student at Study Hall School, who scored 95.2% marks in Class 12 exams lost her father when she was five, leaving her mother to work in a women's self-help group. 'I started my education with Study Hall Educational Foundation's (SHEF) Prerna Girls School, but was later given a scholarship by SHEF to continue my education at Study Hall School. I also went to the US for a year under the Kennedy-Lugar YES scholarship. My mother single-handedly raised me and my two sisters by preparing dry snacks and pickles at the SHG. I credit this success to my mother and school,' said Yadav who faced several financial issues at home while maintaining her academic scores at school.
Noor Ali Khan, a student at The Millennium School who scored 93% in Class 12 (humanities), dealt with Prader Willi syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes hunger, obesity and cognitive impairment. His mother, Uzma Khan, shared that she raised Noor single-handedly.
'Noor faced problems concentrating. Due to the disorder, he had problems in focusing and was moody while undertaking different tasks. In the last two years, he did self-study. He would remember all concepts on one day and forget everything on another. The teachers and staff at the school helped a lot and promoted him in whatever he did which helped him excel,' said Uzma.
Sambhav Verma, a student at St Anjani's Public School (Rajajipuram), lost his mother due to an auto-immune condition caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis about a week before his Class 12 exams. He scored 85% in the commerce stream.
'My mother was dealing with the condition for seven years, but she got bed-ridden about three years back. In December, the condition deteriorated further, and we lost her in February, before my exams. However, it were the things she told me that inspired me to do my best in exams,' said Verma, whose father works as a salesman.
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