Dubai: “I want to protect people,” says 17-year-old grade 11 student Jainesh Thadani. His dream is to become a web developer so he can study hackers and stop them from committing crimes. Well that, or become a cricket commentator.
The boy, who hails from India and was born in Dubai, was diagnosed at eight months with cerebral palsy with spastic diplegia, which affects a person’s muscle coordination. He currently has three steel plates in his leg and is on a wheelchair.
His focus on helping others is just part of the reason he was awarded the Resilience Award by DPS Dubai, which celebrates the achievements of students who overcome challenging circumstances. The other is his grit. Despite numerous medical issues, he is forging on, and has just passed his Grade 10 CBSE exams with an 8 CGPA (76 per cent).
It is also a triumph of the UAE’s government’s staunch support of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabled) and determination to promote inclusivity.
Jainesh’s disorder is classified as mild, but dealing with its repercussions has not been easy. His body language, says Arpita Jani, a counsellor at DPS Dubai who has overseen Jainesh’s case for over eight years, may be misconstrued by those unfamiliar with his circumstances. “People take time to trust him [because his facial twitch may be disconcerting], but over the years, people have learnt how kind he is,” she says.
When Jainesh was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, his parents, Namita and Haresh, decided that the ‘disabled’ label — which society is so quick to stick on people with such conditions — was not one they would allow for their child.
And so came the visits to doctors. His mother, Namita, explains: “Everything works from [the] brain. If the brain is fine, then anything can be done.”
Once she got the all-clear from the doctors, she began to look at educational institutes.
“Nurseries were not taking him, because they were saying we need [someone to] shadow [him] and you can’t be there. And since I have twins, it was difficult for me,” says Namita. (Jainesh’s twin, Jainisha, has been nominated for the coveted Hamdan prize thrice.)
Fortunately, the parents found a place in the Fantasyland, Safa nursery, which he attended for about one year. However, once Jainesh completed the nursery year, it was difficult finding a mainstream school that would take him. His parents were asked to enrol him in a special needs facility, something they balked at — the lack of pigeonholing was the very reason they had chosen Fantasyland.
And then they came across the Delhi Private School in Dubai, which welcomed Jainesh with open arms. Namita points to him, “And here he is,” she says. We are on the DPS grounds and he’s smiling in his green and white school uniform.
Seventeen-year-old Shireen Shariq, who recently graduated from the school, and the other winner of the school’s Resilience Award, is also full of praise for the institute. “I have been here since KG 2,” she says.
Shireen suffers from spina bifida, a condition where the vertebrae isn’t formed completely, so the spine is exposed. Her mother says although the issue was detected in the womb, it could only be rectified post birth. Shireen underwent many surgeries, but her condition affects the muscles below her waist and has seated her on a wheelchair.
“It was not very easy for Shireen … she took some time to get friendly with people,” Jani says of the pupil’s journey. “But she’s very hardworking [and] eloquent.”
Rashmi Nandkeolyar, principal of DPS, says both students truly deserve the Resilience Award, because “in spite of the challenges they have faced, they have worked hard and succeeded due to their resilience and support given by their parents, teachers and peers”.
Speaking to Shireen, it is hard to guess the many difficulties she has faced. Self-assured and articulate, she says her favourite things include painting, watching TV, and travelling. And she likes to sing. Her favourite number? Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself. Now, she’s looking forward to taking up web design in a Dubai-based college.
For Jainesh, life is all about cricket. “I get inspired by the life of three cricketers,” he says. “Virat Kohli [Indian cricket team captain] … His dad passed away on the 18th of June in 2006 and the next day he came out on the ground and …[scored 90]; [M.S.] Dhoni [former Indian team captain], he used to come from a poor family, and now, he’s one of the greatest cricket captains in the world. And see Sachin Tendulkar: he was such a mischievous child, [now] he’s the highest run-getter in ODI cricket.”
The lesson: “See where hard work can get you.”
