Summary
The 16-year-old was in Mumbai for his sixth cycle of chemotherapy when the Class X board results were announced on Monday
The names of some teenagers were not on the list of CBSE school toppers.
But teachers were still talking about them when the CBSE Class X and XII results came out on Monday because of odds that failed to weigh them down.
These boys and girls emerged victorious in their first public exam.
Metro spoke to some of the bravehearts
Vedant Nair, 89.2%, Class X
Birla High School
The 16-year-old was in Mumbai for his sixth cycle of chemotherapy when the Class X board results were announced on Monday.
The boy who was diagnosed with Hodgekin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, in January, appeared for all his papers while undergoing treatment.
Vedant scored 89.2 per cent.
In January, he had a surgery at Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai and prolonged treatment followed.
The first cycle of chemotherapy was in Mumbai, after which he returned to Calcutta for the second cycle.
“He wrote his Hindi paper three days after returning from the hospital. He had to undergo chemotherapy for two days. I am proud of his positive attitude and courage,” said Ranjeeta Nair, his mother.
Vedant scored 87 per cent in Hindi, 86 per cent in English, 92 per cent in mathematics and science and 89 per cent in social science.
From January to May, Vedant has been shuttling between Calcutta and Mumbai, carrying his books along.
“Initially, I could not process what was happening to me and I was anxious. But this phase in my life taught me patience and to utilise the time one has,” he said.
Shubradittya Roy, 88.8%, Class X
DAV Public School, Taratala
Shubradittya had an open heart surgery when he was 13. He leads a normal life like any other teen, he said.
But “normal life” for him means he cannot eat outside food. No pizzas, no burgers and no fast food. He is all of 15.
But what he cannot do does not come in the way of what he can do. Shubradditya scored 88.8 per cent in the Class X exams.
He scored 81 per cent in English, 93 per cent in math and social science, 91 per cent in science and 86 per cent in information technology.
“He had an open heart surgery in February 2022 in Bengaluru, when he was still in Class VIII. My son would have difficulty breathing even after a brief period of running around. A detailed examination revealed he had a heart problem and required intervention,” mother Jhuma Roy said.
Jhuma said the boy has to take medicines and continue with his check-ups at least once a year.
“There are no other restrictions apart from food. He is an obedient boy and he understands when we explain to him why the restrictions are essential,” said Jhuma.
Prajato Roy, 94.8%, Class X
South Point High School
Four days before his first board exam, Prajato was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The doctor advised rest but the 16-year-old was determined to write his exams.
When he was not at the exam centre in Salt Lake, the resident of Kasba was undergoing treatment at Tata Medical Center in New Town.
Prajato scored 93 per cent in English, 92 per cent in Bengali, 98 per cent in math, 96 per cent in science and 95 per cent in social science.
The teenager rued that he could not finish his revision before any of the papers.
“I was in the hospital and there was not enough scope for that. Because of my treatment, my last-minute preparation took a backseat. I appeared for the exam with whatever preparation I had done through the year,” said Prajato.
He wants to pursue engineering.
His mother, Moumita Roy, said: “Doctors said he shouldn’t sit for exams, but he wanted to appear for all his papers, despite his health, and we supported him in his decision.”
Sabera Karim, 47.6%, Class XII
Mahadevi Birla World Academy
A tumor in the brain took Sabera’s ability to hear four years back.
It would have been easy to give up, but this teenager chose not to.
When she was not in the hospital undergoing surgeries, Sabera was in school attending classes with her
peers.
“The school allowed her to carry a tablet to class. Through an app, the teacher’s voice would be recorded and converted to written text, which she would read,” said her sister Tahera.
Tahera said the tumor was detected just after the lockdown in 2020.
“But subsequently, she required a few more surgeries. Thankfully, the tumor was benign. But she cannot hear. In between she had other problems, which was losing her eyesight temporarily as well,” she said.
Initially, Sabera would communicate with her family members over text messages but that changed gradually.
“She can speak and when she is talking to us, she can read our lips. She wants to do commerce,” her sister said.
Last updated on 15 May 2024
