My life should inspire all: Shaik Ataullah

Shaik Ataullah was seven when his life turned upside down. When his kite got stuck in the wires of a transformer, his first thought was to rescue it, paying little attention to the fact that it was a high-voltage transformer and that he was using an iron rod to free the kite while standing on top of water pipes.

And then his parents were running helter-skelter to seek immediate medical assistance. His arm was completely burnt and he was in a critical condition. “Hospitals refused to take us in because of the extent of my injuries. I was finally admitted to Gandhi Hospital, Musheerabad,” says Shaik.

When the doctors informed his parents that Shaik’s arm and legs would have to be amputated, they were inconsolable. But if they refused to go ahead with it, the poison from his legs could have spread to his heart.

Shaik is now 17 and pursuing BCom from St Mary’s College, Yousufguda. His teachers describe him as a bundle of energy, who whizzes around college in his electric wheelchair, rides around on motorbikes with friends and is an exemplary student. He scored 90 per cent in Class X and 75 per cent in Intermediate.

“My parents have been my biggest supporters. They have always said that my life should be an inspiration. Because of them, I have never had any time to wallow in self-pity,” says Shaik, who is also grateful to his friends. “Picking me up or dropping me home, my classmates have been there. Even when I joined my class six months after the incident, everyone was shocked. But hesitation turned into encouragement.

“Past is past and it can’t be changed, future is what I have in my control,” he says. And there is no stopping Shaik, who has taken up a photography course, is a member of the elocution department and never misses a chance to play cricket. “I want to be an IAS officer. I have full faith in myself,” he says.