Boy with genetic disorder wrote exams from bed, scored 72%

BENGALURU: He’s bedridden and can’t move around. But that didn’t stop Kanhaiya M, who’s suffering from muscular dystrophy, from scoring 72% in the II PU exams held last month.
The commerce student wrote the exams with the help of a scribe. Kanhaiya was diagnosed with the genetic disorder — it causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass — when he was seven-year-old. But he wanted to continue going to school and studied as a regular student at BES PU College, Malleswaram.

His mother Sri Lakshmi told TOI she didn’t want him to write the exam this year as he had become completely immobile and his voice had taken a beating due to lack of muscle strength. He would attend one class (subject) every day as he couldn’t sit on a wheelchair for hours together. His mother would accompany him to college. However, for the past three months, attending college had also became tough as his condition worsened.
“Even in the exam hall, he was on a bed and dictated answers to the scribe. Given that he was losing strength, he couldn’t attempt questions for all 100 marks in every subject,” said Sri Lakshmi.
Studying itself was an ordeal for Kanhaiya. He could not sit up. He would read books kept (inverted) on a glass screen atop his head with the help of a stand connected to his desk. “Once he was done with a page, he would call me to turn it,” she added. The boy is aware of his deteriorating condition but it didn’t dent his willpower.
Kanhaiya could have asked for an exemption from writing language papers citing his health condition but didn’t. He will soon join a BCom course. Ramesh K, principal of the college, said they were proud of his achievement.