DU STUDENT INCHING CLOSER TO HER OXFORD DREAM
People with disabilities can achieve anything,” says Pratishtha Deveshwar, a final year student of Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), who became paralytic from chest down after an accident, when she was 13-year-old. But it didn’t stop her from chasing her dreams. “I knew I could overcome my situation only with education. I applied to LSR and got in! That changed my life,” says Hoshiarpurbased Deveshwar, adding how everyone advised her family to not send her to Delhi, but she convinced them otherwise. She can be spotted on a wheelchair on Delhi roads, with shopping bags hanging on either side. “I started living by myself — went shopping, paid my bills and travelled the city in the metro train,” shares the Delhi University student.
Deveshwar now dreams to pursue higher studies at Oxford University, UK. “I applied because their course on public policy is one of the best, and I got through. I’ll be the first wheelchair-bound Indian to study there. I intend to return and use my knowledge for the betterment of 26.8 million people with disabilities in India. Also, I want to prove that my accident or wheelchair do not define me,” she adds. Due to the lack of scholarships, she is raising money for her education via crowdfunding.
“There is no hesitation in asking for help if the cause is genuine. There are wonderful people willing to support,” she says. You can support her fundraising campaign on Instagram (@iampratishtha) or Twitter (@iiampratisht ha)