Imagine a child, barely a year old, and his parents hear these dreadful words: “He’ll never be able to stand, let alone walk.” This is what doctors told Jitendra Gehlawat’s parents. Cerebral palsy — a disorder that affects a person’s ability to move, balance, and maintain posture — had cast a shadow over their lives and Jitendra, doctors said, had 80% disability.
But he didn’t let the bleak diagnosis define him. He grew up watching his father, a labourer, come home covered in dust, his muscles aching, but his eyes always filled with love. That’s where Jitendra learnt about strength — the kind that keeps you going when everything feels impossible.
“Doctors said I’d never stand on my own. Today, I stand for my dreams,” he says.
He dreams of cracking the UPSC examination, of making his father beam with pride. And in pursuit of this, he found a supportive environment in Constable Ajay Grewal’s free coaching classes.
Here, he was not seen for his disability but for his unyielding tenacity. The classes became a place where Jitendra’s strength of character was recognised beyond his physical challenges.
Training his mind to absorb lessons, he continues to persevere through obstacles. “I write, even when my hands shake. I speak even when my words aren’t clear,” he says. Each day, he reminds himself, “I will do it.”
Edited by Arunava Banerjee
No comments:
Post a Comment