I was in Class 7 when I lost my mother. Since then, I have been staying in hostels. Everything was falling back in place until 2016 when i was in Class 12. I played one badminton match and towards the end of it I experienced a weird pain in my left hand. I didn’t pay much attention to it though. 

But the very next day when the hostel warden came to wake us up for extra classes, I couldn’t out of my bed. Everybody, including the dean, warden and my hostel mates, tried to help me get me up but I could barely walk. The doctor on the premises was called and he carried out a regular check-up. But it all went in vain because, surprisingly, everything seemed to be normal.

I was referred to the hospital where several tests were carried out. When the reports came, I learned that I have Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GDS)— a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves. By the time it was diagnosed, my lungs had already stopped working and I was shifted to the ICU. I was in coma for 47 days and it took me four months to get off the ventilator. Even then only my lungs were functioning and the rest of my body was paralysed.

I took me one whole year to get out of it. I appeared for my Class 12 board exams in a wheelchair as I didn’t want to lose my academic year. Then I got into mechanical engineering. I wanted to be a marine engineer but I had to give up on that dream. I am now applying to business schools and I am looking forward to working with Amazon.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I also gained a lot of weight. I thought of utilising this time to get in shape.  I reduced more than 30 kg.

Exactly five years ago I was struggling even to breathe and had to convey a yes or a no by blinking my eyes. Now when I look back at all of it, it gives me a lot of strength and most importantly these five years taught me, that everything gets better with time. 

GBS was a life changer and it still continues to change my life, but I’m always grateful for surviving this and not ever am I going to take life for granted.

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