Dad plays sheet anchor as son overcomes disability

Akanksha Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 16

Seventy-year-old Subhash Joshi constantly worries about his health, not for himself, but for his son affected by cerebral palsy.

Vivek Joshi, 36, is now a well-known figure but it took a lot of hard work for him and his parents to reach this stage in life.

In all these tough years, Joshi’s father remained his backbone. He says he is getting older with each passing day but it is his son who keeps him young.

Vivek was born with 100 per cent cerebral palsy and is a dual degree holder. Besides, he is the only person from Punjab who was chosen for the award for one self-employed with disability last year.

Vivek’s father Subhash Joshi, a retired government employee, said he has to keep himself healthy, fit and fine to keep going for his son. Vivek has a degree in Law and Business management and has recently appeared for the Punjab Civil Services examination.

“Whenever I feel sad thinking about his condition or worry about myself, it is Vivek who motivates me to think positive and shun all negativity,” Subhash Joshi says.

“When Vivek was born, we were told that he was suffering from cerebral palsy. I took him to various hospitals and the doctors told me that he had low IQ. He failed in nursery class and then along with my son, I started going for training every three months for a week in Delhi. Eventually, he cleared the test,” the father said.

Subhash Joshi clearly remembers the day when he found a ray of hope for his son in an article. He used to read a lot and one day he read an article in a science magazine which said, ‘Cerebral palsy is now curable in India too’.

“It was in Hyderabad and in no time, I e-mailed my son’s condition to them and took him to Hyderabad where the operation was successful,” he said.

Joshi remained a pillar of strength for Vivek as he would always take him to school, then college and where ever Vivek had to go for work. Vivek is now a motivational speaker. “Ye na samajhna mohtaj hain hum, naye daur ke sartaj hain hum,” is Joshi’s self-composed poem.

With sparkling eyes, Joshi motivates his students not to allow any problem to overcome them. Joshi has been giving free education to the needy in an open school in a nearby park.

In 2011, he was given a state award for social work by former Punjab minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla. He is a also a state-level chess player.

Even as spasms in his body keep hindering his movements, Vivek says with confidence, “I have been specially designed by God. There were days when I used to think why it happened to me. When I would see the others playing, I would feel low and imagine myself playing with my friends.”

Now, Joshi and his father have a wish — that he clear the judicial exam and become a judge one day. Subhash Joshi also prays that he remains healthy. “I know if I will stop, my son will too,” says an emotional father.