Mumbai: Malvani teen goes to HSC exam centre in ambulance

Shahbaz Ansari appeared for his exam on a stretcher laid out at the exam centre. Pic/Rane Ashish

An ambulance at an HSC exam centre would have been a bad sign on any other day. Today, though, it's what allowed Shahbaz Ansari, 17, to fulfill his dreams. The teen has been bed-ridden since birth due to a condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

Unable to attend school every day, he was determined to at least make it to his board exams. He was so determined that he went to the exam centre in an ambulance and appeared for the paper while lying on a stretcher.

Fighting for his future
Shahbaz's condition is also known as brittle bone disease, since it causes bones to break easily. Because of this condition, he cannot move at all. But this limitation of movement has not stopped Shahbaz's soaring ambition. The sole son of a single mother who works as a domestic help, it is his dream to get educated and change their life for the better.

"I may not be physically independent, but that cannot stop me from living my life. And, education will help me find that path. I plan to pursue a computer course that will allow me to work from home and help my mother live a better life," said Shahbaz, who has only ever been schooled at home with the help of tuition teachers.

It was only when he went for the Std X board examinations that he entered a school for the first time. Despite all his challenges, he scored an impressive 67 per cent in the SSC exams.

This time around, the NGO, Pahile Maze Kartavya Foundation, helped Shahbaz by arranging for the ambulance to the exam centre at Ramzan Ali school, as well as a substitute writer to take his answers down.

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Taking baby steps
"At first, we thought it would be difficult for our son. Not that it has become easy now, but his positive approach and fighting spirit is really inspiring. He takes one step at a time. Until now, his plan was to study till Std XII, but now he has decided to go for graduation too. I am glad that the NGO has come forward to help us," said his mother, Noorjahan Ansari.

"After Shahbaz's father passed away 10 years ago, it has been just the two of us supporting each other. But after his good performance in Std X, we were introduced to this NGO, which has been the greatest support," added Noorjahan.

Nayna Kanal, president of the Pahile Maze Kartavya foundation, said, "Our organisation has taken the decision to support him in his education plans for as long as he wants to study. We are really glad that he has decided to study till graduation."

The NGO has also started looking for computer courses that will help Shahbaz earn a livelihood from home.

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