Disease no obstacle for this Class X achiever

A rare disease which binds him to a wheelchair did not stop Karanveer Singh Anand from excelling in the CBSE Class X board examination. The student of Delhi Public School (North), who has the genetic disorder Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), secured 10-point CGPA.

Karanveer says that he studied hard for the examinations and he wants to become a researcher. “I have opted for PCMB next as I want to work in the field of medicine. There are many rare diseases in the world which do not have cures and I want to find a solution for these,” Karanveer said.

Karanveer was diagnosed with DMD when he was about three years old. The disorder results in progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. “I have been studying in DPS since LKG and the school has always been very supportive. They made a ramp in the building to make it easier for me to move around in the wheelchair and they ensured that all my classes were on the ground floor,” he said.

His mother, Movin Anand, would accompany him to school to provide any assistance he would need and now she is a teacher in his school.

The search for a cure for their only son’s disorder led Karanveer’s father R S Anand to set up Dystrophy Annihilation Research Trust (DART). “We have a team of scientists who have been working to find different approaches to treat this condition. A lot of parents visit us and seek advice on what to do when their child is diagnosed since there is not much awareness,” he said.