World Disability Day: Undeterred by physical challenges, youth makes dreams come true

Srinagar, Dec 03: A 33-year-old young man from north Kashmir has overcome physical challenges and personal hardships to achieve his dream, became Assistant Professor in Clinical Biochemistry in the Higher Education Department.
Hailing from Khambiyar Hyderbeigh village in Pattan of Baramulla, Dr Jeelani Mir overcame multiple surgeries and blood transfusions without giving up on his dream.
Born into a middle-class family, he has become an inspiring example of dedication and perseverance in the Valley, fighting disabilities to achieve his goal.
In 2021, Mir became the second person from his village to be selected as an Assistant Professor in Clinical Biochemistry in the Higher Education Department. He is currently posted at Government Degree College Sopore.
“Apart from surgeries, I was given 17 blood transfusions and two times skin grafts in my left leg during the two years. The blood was mostly donated for me by family members, close friends of my elder sister, and other relatives,” he said.
Recalling the tragic accident, Mir says at the age of 4, he met an accident on Srinagar-Baramulla highway, just about a hundred meters away from his home. He was rushed to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in critical condition.
“I was in a coma for 37 days at the hospital. I can understand the pain and struggles my family went through during that time. The doctors requested several blood transfusions and scans to figure out the cause of the coma,” recalls the 33-year-old.
As a result of the accident, Mir’s legs were fractured, and he sustained multiple injuries. He underwent eight surgeries at SMHS Hospital, SKIMS, and the Bone and Joint Hospital in Barzulla during his recovery.
“Despite my disability, my education never stopped. My father used to carry me on his shoulders to school, which was about two and a half kilometers from our village, until I completed the 5th standard,” Mir said.
After five years, he was enrolled in a school in Pattan town that had bus service for students. There, he completed his 10th grade, and later, his 12th grade as well.
“All credit goes to my family who stood behind me like a rock. They always encouraged and boosted my confidence,” Mir told Rising Kashmir.
Mir did an additional training course in Diploma in Medical Lab Technology from AMT School Baramulla.
“The training course was a turning point of my life, where I developed a passion towards clinical sciences and was curious about the subject,” he said.
“I had a passion to pursue Ph.D. but for that National Eligibility Test (NET) was mandatory and to crack that I studied very hard. And finally, in 2016, I qualified CSIR- NET with JRF in open merit and following which I was selected for Ph.D. at the University of Kashmir in Clinical Biochemistry department,” Mir said.
“I was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Higher Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir. At the same time, I completed my mandatory residential period for Ph.D. students,” he said.
“Life is full of challenges and most non-disabled individuals do not realize how important grooming is to people with disabilities and how that affects our ability to confidently engage with society,” Mir said.
Quoting renowned scholar Robert M. Hensel, Mir concluded, “We, the ones who are challenged, need to be heard. We should be seen not as a disability, but as people who continue to bloom, not as a handicap, but as well-intact human beings.”