Vicky (the little boy in the yellow t-shirt) came to the Early Intervention Centre when he was three and a half years old. His chacha, a cook in the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand’s office, had heard about the EIC through its awareness work and brought Vicky in because he could neither speak nor walk.

We assessed Vicky and found him to be a bright child with athetoid Cerebral Palsy.

In spite of being unable to walk, he had developed his own innovative style of moving and got around by lying on his back and scooting his bottom along the ground. He could not speak, but communicated his needs through his own signing system.

Vicky’s parents were unable to care for him and his uncle, though himself unmarried, volunteered to adopt him. He brought him regularly to the EIC and, as the only man in the Mothers and Toddlers playgroup, was a special favorite of all.

Vicky’s personality is vibrant and courageous and he has inherited his uncle’s determination. Within a few months of regular physiotherapy, he began standing with support and quickly progressed to standing on his own. At the age of five he graduated to Karuna Vihar School where he has continued to develop his communication skills. After a year of steady, hard work, Vicky finally mastered walking unassisted. The day he took his first steps, he was so delighted with himself that he walked in circles round and round the room, laughing out loud for joy.

Today, Vicky is a happy, charming boy who loves playing and learning with his friends at Karuna Vihar and helping his uncle (he is excellent at washing dishes!) at home. Although still non-verbal because of his Cerebral Palsy, his receptive language skills are excellent and he understands most concepts that a child of his age should. His uncle is delighted with his progress and we all have hopes that one day Vicky will be able to attend a mainstream school.