Cerebral palsy did not deter this 18-yr-old boy

Ayush Srinivasan had virtually nothing going for him. Ayush, now 18, was detected with spastic cerebral palsy at a young age, and since then cannot walk or sit without assistance.

The lessons have to be read out aloud to him for him to grasp them.

Ayush, a student of Swami Vivekanand Junior College in Chembur, overcame all these obstacles to score a distinction — 74.33% — in his HSC exams.

There is none more proud than his father, Srinivasan Subramaniam, a single parent. After quitting his job three years back, Srinivasan moved with Ayush to Coimbatore to help him develop his mobility.

Speaking from Coimbatore, Srinivasan said, “He cannot do any activity without any help. He cannot read continuously for a long period. I had to repeatedly read out his lessons for him to understand and memorise things. But thanks to his memory and good understanding of the subject, he manages to do well always.”

Ayush scored 97 out of 100 in accountancy and is proud of his achievement. He said, “I owe my achievement to my father, grandmother and my school.” He wants to become an investment banker and “I am very confident of becoming one”.

Ayush joined a mainstream school when he was in Std V. The school installed a special furniture for Ayush in the library. “Our teachers drop in to check on him after their lectures. He is a brilliant student. He scored 83% in his Std X,” said principal of Bina Gole, Swami Vivekanand College.

Srinivasan said, “We have a cottage here (in Coimbatore) and Ayush has enough space to move around. In Mumbai, it was very difficult. We were waiting for his HSC. Now he can continue his higher studies through distance education. He wants to do a BCom in Banking and Insurance, and I will help him pursue his dreams.”