With the belief that any disability can only affect the body and not the spirit, a 19-year-old Gorakhpur girl, Yashi Kumari who is affected with cerebral palsy fought all odds to get a seat for MBBS in Kolkata’s Medical College and Hospital which is one of the oldest in Asia.

Yashi’s parents got a rude shock when Yashi was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the tender age of eight. Her right upper and lower limbs were impaired, but Yashi managed to do all her routine work by herself.

Her parents soon came to terms with her condition and extended their complete support. Yashi and her father, an auto driver, were also encouraged by her doctor, Dr, Jeetendra Kumar Jain in Prayagraj who advised her to continue her studies and not let her condition deter her from pursuing her dreams.

Yashi scored 94% in high school and she decided to go to Kota for NEET coaching. However, as fate would have it, the pandemic started and her dreams got stalled. Not one to be discouraged, she started preparing for her studies in Gorakhpur in hybrid mode.

Yashi was extremely delighted to know that she has cracked NEET and has won an MBBS seat in the ‘disability category’ in one of the oldest colleges in Asia. Her hard work and determination paid off despite her health condition posing numerous challenges.

Yashi states that it was her urge to go against all odds and prove herself that kept her going during the hard times. She adds that one should not lose heart even if s/he is different from others, instead learn from the challenges and become strong and resilient.