He did not let cancer alter his academic path
Mumbai: For Matunga residents Sunita and Suresh Banker, it was as though life took a wrong turn when their only son Prathamesh was diagnosed with brain tumour six years ago. But the apple of their eye gave them a reason to smile through their pain when he was selected for a national scholarship for excellence in academics, which is to be conferred upon him on Independence Day on Friday .
The childhood cancer scholarship Prathamesh is set to get is a first-time nationwide initiative by voluntary organisation Cankids which works closely with children and families faced with cancer and will be given to five children from across the country. The other Mumbaikar is Mannan Parikh (14) who is unable to travel for the function as he is under treatment. The Banker family is overjoyed. Hes brought us an opportunity to meet such big people in Delhi. Its such an honour, said Prathameshs emotional mother Sunita as she traced the tough journey theyve traversed.
Hes a bright boy but has faced unimaginable difficulties due to the illness for no fault of his. He keeps saying he studies hard but still forgets, says Sunita, pointing out that they didnt even know what brain tumour meant before Prathameshs diagnosis. Thats exactly the dose of encouragement the organisation wants to give. The idea is to encourage every child to return to his education after treatment and we want survivors to serve an inspiration that you could still excel, said Poonam Bagai of the NGO Cankids who says the initiative was originally the suggestion of Delhi resident Anoop Kumar who had authored a book called Joy of Cancer before he died of lung cancer.
The older of two children, Prathamesh was diagnosed with the tumour six years ago and has now started losing hair due to the treatment but his spirits are still buoyant. A student of SIES school in Wadala he grins innocently at the mention of the award, as he takes a minute off from his tuition class in BDD chawl in Worli. I wrote an essay and won the award, he says simply.