Lakshya is 9 years old and has Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, also known as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy. The condition effects the peripheral nerves that control muscles and relay sensory information, such as touch, from the limbs and other body parts to the brain. For Lakysha this has caused weakness in his limbs and limits his ability to control his body. The condition may be related to his father’s exposure to toxic chemicals on the night of the 1984 Union Carbide gas leak, which contained heavy metals capable of causing genetic damage.
By the time Lakshya was 7 years old he still could not sit straight or stand without assistance. His mother Niketa, desperate to find treatment that could help him manage his condition, brought him to Chingari. For the past two years, the physiotherapists at Chingari have worked daily with Lakshya. With the help of targeted exercises designed to strengthen his muscles he has developed better trunk control, allowing him to sit straight and reducing his discomfort. His ability to stand has also improved, and he can manage to walk with assistance. Lakysha also receives occupational therapy at the centre, helping him to practice specific targeted movements and better perform everyday tasks.
Outside the clinic, Lakshya loves developing his IT skills and creating PowerPoint presentations. His dream is to one day become a software engineer and study at one of the Indian Institutes of Technology, the most prestigious technical universities in the country.
