Winner in a wheelchair

Cerebral palsy could not stop Sarika from achieving her dream of becoming a civil servant

- Nirmal Jovial

There is an innate confidence on Sarika A.K.'s face and a warm smile, too. The 24-year-old from Kerala—who ranked 922 in the UPSC exam—not only went through the rigours of preparing for the tough exam, as lakhs do, but she did so while battling cerebral palsy. “I prefer the IAS, but I am not sure whether I will get it. Whatever service I get into, I will do everything in my capacity for the differently abled community,” she says, sitting on her electric wheelchair.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affects muscle movement and coordination, with symptoms varying from person to person and ranging from mild to severe. There are four main types. Spastic cerebral palsy—which affects 80 per cent of those with cerebral palsy— is characterised by increased muscle tone, which leads to stiff  muscles and awkward movements. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy affects the limbs and involves difficulty in controlling movement, leading to slow or rapid jerky movements. Ataxic cerebral palsy impacts balance and coordination, resulting in unsteady walking and difficulty with precise movements. Mixed cerebral palsy refers to symptoms that are a combination of different types of cerebral palsy.