Srinagar, Jan 14:
For nearly one and a half years, Aakash Ashraf’s classroom was not a school building but the chemotherapy and radiotherapy wards where he fought blood cancer. Despite prolonged treatment and physical exhaustion, the teenager from Dadsara area of Tral has cleared his Class 10 board examinations with an outstanding 97 per cent score.
Aakash was midway through his Class 9 academic session when he was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2024. His last regular day at school came in June last year, after which hospital visits and medical procedures became a constant part of his life.
“For the past one and a half years, I have mostly been bedridden,” Aakash said. “I hardly attended classes after that. Most of my time was spent in hospitals, moving between chemotherapy and radiotherapy wards.”
With no access to regular classes or private tuition, Aakash relied largely on self-study. He prepared for the examinations during brief intervals whenever his health permitted.
“I always wanted to do well in my first board exams,” he said. “Most of the time, I didn’t even have the strength to stand. But whenever I felt slightly better, I studied and tried to compete like any other student.”
His perseverance bore fruit when the results were declared. Aakash scored 485 marks out of 500, a remarkable achievement considering the circumstances under which he studied.
However, the effects of prolonged treatment continue to take a toll on his health. He said he remained physically weak after undergoing monthly chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions until April 2025.
“Even now, I am not strong enough to attend regular classes,” Aakash said. “But I will continue my studies. I want to take medical subjects, either through offline or distance mode.”
Doctors have advised him to undergo a stem cell bone marrow transplant in the next two to three months. Before that, Aakash hopes to secure admission to Class 11, where he plans to study Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English and Physical Education.
His journey—from hospital wards to a high-scoring board result—stands as a powerful testament to determination and resilience in the face of serious illness. (KNO)
