May 13 2015 : The Times of India (Bangalore)
Thalassemia no deterrent for this boy
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
He was diagnosed with thalassemia when he was just three months old. Since then, he's survived on blood transfusions and medicines to maintain iron levels in his body. But that did not hinder 15-year-old Pavan Kumar Singh from securing a whopping 97.76% in SSLC exams.
Thalassemia is a genetic condition where the body is unable to produce red blood cells. The only way one can lead a normal life is through medication -regular drugs and blood transfusions once a month.
Pavan's father Dhanpal Singh, resident of Jnanabharathi Layout, was ecstatic when the results were declared on Tuesday. Pavan, a student St Philomena's Memorial High School, believes if you are determined, nothing can stop you from reaching your goals, not even thalassemia.
Though Pavan's teachers expected him to top, he's among the state's high rankers.
“It was important for me to keep myself healthy because I am easily vulnerable to infections. I abstained from eating out and practised pranayama for an hour every day . Since thalassemia affects organs easily, pranayama helps in building immunity. I have been doing it religiously for 10 years now,“ he told TOI.
“I haven't seen him working too hard but he made sure that he studied every day. We didn't help him at all,“ said Dhanpal.
Pavan said his excitement knew no bounds when he logged into the website and looked at the result page. However, he said he expected better marks in science and mathematics. Though Pavan wants to take up science, he hasn't really made up his mind. He wants to be a cardiologist. At the same time, he wants to rid society of corruption by pursuing civil services.The bright student is also a good cricketer and likes to cycle.
--Disha Sanghvi