Kerala IAS aspirant Latheesha with a thousand fractures who took UPSC exam on oxygen support

Remembering Latheesha: Kerala IAS aspirant with a thousand fractures who took UPSC exam on oxygen support

Of all the students preparing for the UPSC exams, one of the most determined was Latheesha Ansari. Her study room was different. Next to her books, there was always an oxygen cylinder. It helped her breathe but it never stopped her from dreaming.

Latheesha was born with a rare disease that made her bones very weak and her body very small. She could not walk. For years, her loving father carried her to school and college. She never let her problems stop her. She finished her studies with top marks. She was also a talented painter and a beautiful keyboard player.

But then, another sickness came. Her lungs became weak, she needed oxygen all the time. Many would have given up, but not Latheesha. Her big dream was to become a civil servant to help people.

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So, in 2019, she went to take the UPSC exam. Her family carried her oxygen cylinder all the way to the exam hall. She sat for the test, focusing on her paper, while the oxygen machine softly hissed beside her. For her, the cylinder was not a sign of weakness. It was a sign of her strong heart and her unbeatable spirit.

She was fighting to prove something important that your body does not decide how far your mind can go.

Sadly, just a week before she died, her breathing got worse. In the hospital, she told her father one last wish. She said, "I have never been able to stand. Please, help me stand up." Her father held her hands. And for two hours, she stood. It was her final, brave victory.

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Latheesha, whose name means 'happiness,' passed away on June 16, 2021. She was only 27. Her story is not a sad one but a powerful lesson for every student. When you feel like giving up, think of the girl who took an exam with an oxygen cylinder.

She did not have easy breaths, but she had big dreams. She did not have strong legs, but she had a strong will.

Your challenges are real but you have the ability to face them. You have the gift of health. You have the power to try.