Despite Three Surgeries, Half Paralyzed Boy Cracks IIT

Ankit Kumar Sharma, a carpenter’s son cracked the JEE Advanced Examination and will be studying in IIT Kanpur. He has achieved this despite having three major surgeries and a body paralysed below the waist.

Ankit is a meritorious student from the Shah Village of Kanpur district, who had three major operations from 2010 – 2012 to treat his rare neurological disabilities. The disease made him paralysed and badly affected his studies. But Ankit refused to give up and despite being bedridden for two long years, he began his exam preparation in 2014 after getting partially cured.

He cleared the class XII board exams in 2015 and secured an AIR 93 in OBC Person with Disability (PWD) category this year in JEE Advanced. He is allotted Chemical engineering at IIT Kanpur. It is indeed a proud moment for him and his family who always stood beside him in the hour of crisis. Sadly, his mother could not witness this success as she passed away three years ago because of TB. Ankit had to fight his battle without the support of his mother.

Ankit’s neurological problem first came into vision when he fell down on the road while going to school and could not get up. He was in the Class VIII standard then. He was rushed to a hospital and there his spinal cord was operated. Unfortunately, the operation remained unsuccessful. He was re-operated two months later and after prolonged medication his situation got improved, but not much. He was operated for the third time a year later and this time the operation was successful to make him cure partially. He could start his schooling again and began his studies.

Although not cured completely, Ankit carries the confidence on his face to succeed in his life. He already completed his formalities to join IIT Kanpur and will commence his journey towards hard earned success.

The only concern is how to manage the cost associated with the study requirements in IIT Kanpur. Ankit’s disease financially broke the family and his father had to sell out their home and mortgage their land to meet up the treatment cost.

The post first appeared in KenFolios - Only interesting stories.