Mind over body: Boy conquers disability to excel academically

By Alkesh Sharma, Bathinda (Punjab), May 3: Yashveer Goyal, 9, goes to a regular school and does the things most other children do, though there is one aspect which sets him apart - he beats everyone hollow in studies despite being born deaf and dumb.

Apart from these disabilities, Yashveer has suffered from various congenital deformities but has never allowed them to hinder his studies.

Now he has excelled in his Class 5 exams, scoring 411 out of 450 marks (91.3 percent), in an all-Punjab test conducted by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SAA), a government initiative.

Yashveer, who is studying in the Mahatma Hans Raj Model School here, has stood third overall and first among handicapped students in the entire state.

"Despite so many problems, Yashveer is as normal as any other child. He has a strong willpower and a lot of patience. He is never frustrated by his disabilities and is at peace with himself," Yashveer's mother Neetu Goyal told IANS.

"We want Yashveer to rub shoulders with normal children of his age group. That is why we admitted him in a school for normal students and he has lived up to our expectations by competing very well with normal children regardless of all difficulties.

"His deafness is severe and he has to attend strenuous sessions with doctors at regular intervals but he always has a smile on his face. His attitude itself gives us motivation. It is otherwise really difficult to bear all this pain at this young age."

Yashveer is also fond of hi-tech gadgets.

"He has been using a laptop since he was three years old," Neetu said. "He is very fond of browsing the Internet and playing video games. He has a keen interest in computers."

The boy is also very good at lip-reading and immediately replies by writing on a piece of paper.

Yashveer, who is a big fan of Bollywood movies, is also fond of shopping. He has a personal collection of branded watches and sun glasses.

Neetu said: "He is not shy of anyone and knows how to respect his elders and how to treat his juniors. He is very good at dancing and is an extrovert. He attends social functions just like any other child and has a long list of friends."

To boost the boy's confidence, the family always tells him he can achieve anything he wants.

A speech therapist who has been teaching Yashveer for the last eight years said: "By seeing his record, I have very high expectations from Yashveer. He grasps things very quickly and has a strong memory.

"He also possesses amazing general knowledge, as he knows the names of all the leading politicians, freedom fighters, historical places, countries and their capitals. One thing about Yashveer is that he is never tired of learning," the therapist added.

(Alkesh Sharma can be contacted at alkesh.s@ians.in)