Determination versus disease: The story of a Kerala boy's indomitable spirit

With a crippling tumour on his spine, years of suffering and finally a crippled body, none were able to dampen the spirit of Sameej as he pursued his passion for painting despite the hurdles and turned it into a source of income.

Kozhikode: He experienced the carefree joy of childhood, laughing and playing with his friend. But then a critical medical condition ruined it all leaving him with a deformed body and hunched walk. The hands which once easily caught a cricket ball shot high in the air, now just hang from his shoulders. Sameej can no longer sprint with his friends from one side of the playground to the other.

Even as he led a normal life till class VII, the crisis started looming over his life. He used to feel occasional pain in his neck. At first, his family members did not think of it as a cause for concern but as days passed the pain became excruciating, making it difficult for him to walk and sleep properly.

Concerned with his condition, Sameej's parents decided to provide him with ayurvedic treatment. But it turned out to be futile as his neck pain showed no signs of decreasing. With every passing day, it became more and more unbearable.

Sensing that it was not just regular neck pain, Sameej's parents got his MRI scan done. Their lives were turned upside down when the scan report revealed that he was suffering from a spinal cord tumour which was having an adverse effect on his movement and posture.

t

As Sameej's condition worsened, the doctors attending to him conducted surgery in 2009 to remove the tumour. But by then the damage was done. The tumour stunted Sammej's growth and deformed his body. But his physical deformities failed to dampen his spirit.

But in 2020 a global health emergency struck India in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic and most people were confined to their homes following the lockdown. It was during that time Sameej discovered his passion for painting. After completing 12th standard Sameej used to stay at home while his parents went out for work. He started drawing paintings of film stars such as Mohanlal, Mammootty and Dulquer Salmaan.

He also drew paintings of vehicles in which he has a keen interest. Now at 19 years of age, Sameer had turned his passion into a profession as he started earning a small amount by selling his paintings. The tumour crippled his body but failed to put a dent in his willpower. He is determined to purchase his own vehicle in future and not to let physical limitations stand in his way.