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Battling pneumonia, muscular dystrophy, gritty Chandigarh teen arrives on stretcher to take Class 12 exam
Supported by oxygen cylinders and a medical team, Kanishka was wheeled into the Government Senior Secondary School, Modern Complex, in Sector 13, Manimajra.
As thousands of Class 12 students across the country took their seats for the CBSE Physics board examination on Friday, 17-year-old Kanishka Bisht, a student living with muscular dystrophy since birth, showed extraordinary grit as she arrived at her examination centre in an ambulance directly from the intensive care unit (ICU), to take the exam.
Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that can cause progressive muscle weakness due to defective protein production.
Supported by oxygen cylinders and a medical team, Kanishka was wheeled into the Government Senior Secondary School, Modern Complex, in Sector 13, Manimajra.
On January 30, she had developed a severe fever and was later diagnosed with pneumonia. Her condition deteriorated, and on February 3, she was placed on ventilator support at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. Six days later, she was shifted to Chaitanya Hospital, Sector 44, where she continues to remain in the ICU.
Yet even from a hospital bed, the board examinations remained firmly on her mind.
Her father, Prem Bisht, a businessman and resident of Zirakpur, said his daughter was resolute. “She was adamant about appearing for her exams despite her condition. She says she will attempt all her papers to the best of her ability. As of now, we only want her to recover at the earliest,” he said.
Kanishka has consistently refused to let her condition define her academic journey. She had earlier been granted an extra hour during her Class 10 board examinations owing to her medical condition – a provision extended to her for the ongoing exams as well.
Clearing JEE Main earlier this year marked another milestone, one she hopes will carry her toward her engineering ambitions. Battling on two fronts – recovery and her dream of becoming an engineer – Kanishka is set to appear for her next board examination, Chemistry, on February 28.
