Even,despite all the odds

Sparsh Gupta considers himself lucky. Born with cataract in both eyes,Sparsh underwent surgery when he was four months old.

Sparsh Gupta considers himself lucky. Born with cataract in both eyes,Sparsh underwent surgery when he was four months old. He lost vision in his left eye,but never complained.

Some people dont even have that, the 19-year-old All-India topper in the Special Children Category said. He scored a whopping 94 per cent in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class XII examinations.

Sparsh says he could not study for long hours. His right eye would water and begin to itch. He had to take frequent breaks,after every 30 minutes.

I took breaks because I couldnt focus, he says. But its fine. I never thought about this problem. I never thought I was different. I am like others. At least I have one eye and many people dont have it.

Sparsh,who hails from Bulandshahr,joined Delhi Public School-RK Puram in Class XI. On Friday,when his principal called him to tell him he had topped in the Special Children Category scoring over more than 1,273 special category children across the country who had appeared for the exam,he was shocked.

Sparsh says he wants to follow his fathers footsteps and become a chartered accountant. From the beginning I wanted to be like my father. My parents have supported me throughout, he said over the phone from Bulandshahr.

His father,Arun Gupta,says it wasnt easy accepting the fact that their elder child had limited vision. He couldnt walk in the dark. We couldnt leave him alone, he said. But he defeated all odds. He went to a hostel and he was fine.

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