Where there is a will, there is a way. With a burning desire to excel in ICSE exams, Raghav Chandak did not let cancer put him down. He took text books and notes to his hospital bed to score a whopping 95.8%.
Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia(ALL) in April, last year, Chandak could attend school only for a period of two months.
"My cousin who also studies in the same class supplied all notes to me, " the 16-year-old told PTI.
"He was in hospital for one-and-a-half months at a stretch. And then he had to go for about seven days each month to the hospital for chemotherapy which weakened his immune system but not the spirit to fight, " his proud father Manoj Chandak said to DNA.
Right from arranging class notes to making teachers available for help(via call), the school gave him all the needed support during his chemotherapy sessions at Tata Medical Centre.
The family was taken by shock when Raghav was diagnosed with cancer. "We thought he will not be able to appear for the exams. We went to the school and told them about it. They said, you take care of the medical condition and we will take care of his studies, " the father said.
The classroom had a special bench laid out for him whenever he went to attend any lecture as there was a fear of infection spreading on to other students.
"I would not have been able to do this without everyone’s support - my parents, teachers, friends, cousin and our family doctor, " the teenager said.
After finishing school, he dreams of getting into IITs.