MADURAI: It was sheer grit and determination that propelled 16-year-old P Dinesh, who suffered injuries to his hip and leg following an accident, to appear for his Class 11 exam at the Madura College Higher Secondary School in Madurai. Lying on a stretcher, Dinesh appeared for the exam and wrote the Tamil exam with the help of a scribe.
Dinesh, a resident of Virathanoor near Madurai city, met with the accident when he was on the way to school on July 22, 2024. Hitching a ride from a stranger on a two-wheeler, Dinesh was traveling towards his school when a bus hit them, and ran over him.
With an injured hip and a broken leg, Dinesh was taken to the Government Rajaji Hospital for treatment, where he underwent surgeries.
“He sustained multiple injuries after the accident,” said his mother Thenmozhi, a single parent who quit her daily wage work at a rice mill to care for her younger son. “He is recovering well,” Thenmozhi added.
Balajiram, the school headmaster said, “Dinesh hitched a ride as he wanted to be punctual to school. He was a bright student, and scored 420/500 in his Class 10 exam. Dinesh dreams of becoming a doctor, and the accident was unfortunate. The school teachers supported him to the fullest, and even took classes for him at home.”
While Dinesh was initially in a position to sit on a wheelchair, and write the exam after his initial recovery, he was dropped while being lifted up, leading to another injury, Balajiram said.
“The fall occurred last week, and he was taken to the medical board at the Government Rajaji Hospital. The board quickly examined and certified him, before the school education department was approached seeking a scribe for Dinesh,” the headmaster added.