When the going gets tough, persistence — and hope — will get the job done.
And Anoushka Vidudala’s path to achieving a high score is testament to her determination and patience. The student from Delhi Public School, South, battled brain cancer for a year-and-half and still managed to secure an 8.8 CGPA in her board examination. All this, between bouts of chemotherapy and radiation.
In the midst of several treatments, Anoushka reflected, “There came a time when I lost all hope and started questioning my existence. I felt it was all pointless, but then I started reading about other cancer survivors and their battles. This reassured me to go on fighting and not lose hope.”
The cancer crept up almost insidiously. It began with frequent headaches and vomiting. Several checkups were conducted before she was asked to go for an MRI scan. That was when the doctors found a cancerous tumour, medulloblastoma, in her brain, which was growing. To Anoushka, the diagnosis was not a full-stop but a semi-colon. Soon after, she was forced to withdraw from school as daily tasks were strenuous to perform and instead she began attending regular treatments. But a year-and-a-half later, with the cancer under remission, she returned to the classroom.
Anoushka speaks of how continuous support from her parents, teachers and friends, gave her the strength she needed throughout her journey, owing to which she was able to emerge victorious.
The youngster’s achievements are unlimited. Anoushka has also written a book about her journey. It will be published soon. She hopes that her story will encourage others who face similar struggles.
Ask her about the future and she enthusiastically states that her next goal is a career in forensic science. “It has been a life-long dream,” she says.
