Bengaluru (DHNS): S R Shreyas, a student of Regency Public School, Vidyaranyapura in Bengaluru has scored 97% in the 10th ICSE boards beating all odds.

He was diagnosed with meningitis first in February and was admitted to MS Ramaiah Hospital on the 15th of the same month. Doctors discharged him from the hospital on February 21 as his condition had improved a little.

Shreyas who loves developing computer applications, was hospitalised a second time on March 15 after he had given his English paper. His father Ravi Shankar said, “He lost vision in the left eye and couldn’t pass urine without defecating as well. It was his will to do well in the exams, despite being exceptionally weak, that gave us strength.”

The school authorities helped seeking permission from the board so that Shreyas could write his exams from the hospital itself as he was in no position to move. “The school and board were extremely helpful. They understood Shreyas’s situation and let him write his exam from the hospital. The hospital authorities were also understanding as they made provisions for him to write the exam in a classroom as ICSE has issues with students writing exams in the ward,” said Shankar.

ICSE was even willing to provide a scribe in case Shreyas struggled while writing the paper, but Shreyas was determined to write the paper himself. “His hands were trembling due to his condition and all the medication he was given. Despite all of this he fought on and wrote the paper without the scribe because he thought he would lose his flow dictating,” said his father, who works with a Kolkata-based printing company.

Shreyas says that his favourite subjects are Computer Science, Physics and Social sciences. He prepared programmes to hold paperless elections in his school and also conduct a Spelling Bee inter-school competition organised by his school. He is not only into programming but also likes playing cricket and was the part of the team that came runners-up in the U14 BT Ramaiah Shield that is conducted by KSCA.

Shankar said he would like to thank the school authorities as they showed a lot of support in his time of need, “The school informed us about the provision that ICSE provides children who are unwell, if it was not for them, we wouldn’t have known about it.”