Dubai: Student battling stage 4 cancer scores 97% in CBSE exams from hospital bed

Abu Dhabi - 17-year-old Bibin Baldev Raj aspires to become a lawyer.

A 17-year-old Dubai student has overcome the dual challenge of cancer and the Covid-19 pandemic to smash his way to a whopping 97.2 per cent in the Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Grade 12 exams, the results of which were declared on Friday, July 30.

Bibin Baldev Raj, who is battling stage 4 of Ewing’s sarcoma — a rare type of cancer that occurs in bones — prepared for the exams right from his hospital bed.

The pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for this GEMS Our Own Indian School student as learning shifted to online classrooms.

“With remote learning, I could attend classes from the hospital bed, as my treatment was going on. Spending so much screen time daily was a problem, as it was a new concept. However, I persisted and prepared. I did well in pre-boards and at later stages,” he said.

Raj, a mixed stream student, scored 98 marks each in English and mass media studies, 97 marks each in home science and marketing, and 96 marks in economics. He came third in his stream in his school.

“Everyone in my school — including teachers, friends, family members — and my parents Baldev Raj and Meena Kumari, and sister Jasmine have helped me achieve my goals,” he said.

Initially, he was undergoing treatment at Al Zahra Hospital. He is currently being treated at American Oncology Institute, Jalandhar, in the northern Indian state of Punjab.

“Such activities have kept me upbeat and afloat. I’m preparing for my college admission applications. I plan to study international law. I wish to become a lawyer,” Raj added.