Ishita Bhatia| TNN |

 

Cerebral Palsy-hit Meerut twins. (TOI photo by Munish Kumar)Cerebral Palsy-hit Meerut twins. (TOI photo by Munish Kumar)
MEERUT: In a testimony to the power of resilience and grit in the face of adversity, a pair of cerebral palsy-affected twins from Meerut went on to script a success story in the class XII CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) results declared on Saturday.

Brothers Ayush and Piyush Goel – born at a brief gap of five minutes – scored 75.8% and 68.2% respectively, in the commerce stream, despite being affected with a debilitating disease that prevents them from speaking or writing properly.

Undeterred by the fact that they need assistance to perform even basic daily activities, the duo – students of Meerut’s Shanti Niketan Vidyapeeth – took to their studies with a gusto that would have put many an able-bodied individual to shame. They also opted to study on their own, and did not attend any coaching classes or take private tuitions.

“The scariest part was that I was appearing for a public examination for the first time. This is because, in Class X we no longer have to sit for the board examinations. But I guess God helped us,” said Ayush.

“My brother keeps praying to God the entire day! His devotion must’ve earned him the extra marks,” said a visibly happy Piyush, who seemed to have lost none of his zest for life despite his struggles.

Class X CBSE students no longer have to appear for a public examination. Their tests are internally evaluated by their own alma maters and the scores are decided on the basis of cumulative grade points average (CGPA).

Born to engineer R K Goel and Sudha Goel, the boys weighed just 900gms each at birth and doctors said there were no chances of survival. “But they beat the odds and went on to live normal lives. They have always surprised us with their achievements and I’m sure they will climb great heights in life,” said a proud Sudha.

The brothers completed their primary education from Holy Child School, Saket, and later moved to Doon Public School, Pandav Nagar. They attended Shanti Niketan Vidyapeeth through classes IX to XII.

While Ayush now plans to pursue a bachelors’ degree in business administration (BBA) and crack the state public service commission’s entrance exam, Piyush wants to do earn a degree in social work.

Owing to their condition, the siblings had to be assisted by amanuenses to take their tests. Two class XI science students from Translam Academy and The Avenue Public School acted as their writers.

“Had it not been for the writer, I would not have been able to perform as well as I did. Although my writer was a science student and I had to explain how to record entries in accountancy, it was a joint effort and I’m glad I passed in the first attempt,” said Piyush.

The twin’s father, meanwhile, acknowledged the great lengths Shanti Niketan Vidyapeeth went to, to ensure his sons received the best possible education. “Even the exam centre – J P Academy – made arrangements so that the boys could take their tests in a room on the ground floor as climbing stairs is a Herculean task for them,” he said.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/In-a-tale-of-triumph-Meerut-twins-with-cerebral-palsy-clear-board-exams/articleshow/52380152.cms