Fifteen-year-old Syed Shaid Sadiq is like any other teenager: he loves to play on his Xbox and watch films. But just two months before his class 10 ICSE exams, he suffered from his first epileptic attack.
“The following two months were extremely stressful. I never knew when the next attack would strike,” says Sadiq, a student of Presidency School. But he was determined to do well and scored 79.8%.
“After initial bouts of stress and panic, I started working harder than before to make up for the lost time.”
He says he studied six hours a day without extra coaching.
When the school authorities realised the severity of the situation, they forwarded his case to the CISCE, which allowed him an additional 15 minutes for every hour. “But I did not use it,” he says.
His mother speaks highly of his teachers and principal. She says without their help, Sadiq would not have been able to do this well. His father says: “ I always believed that Sadiq would do well, but the recurring attacks just before the exams made us panic. My son braved these odds with utmost grace and never lost hope. Despite the attacks, he studied regularly.”
