Skip to main content
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 21 August 2017

Rucha Shere, 28, is the first student in Maharashtra with Down Syndrome to have achieved academic excellence. Battling ridicule and rejection intrepidly, she is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Sanskrit. Read her wonderful story as told by her father.

Congratulations!! You have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl, we were informed. My wife and I were thrilled. Our little bundle of joy had finally arrived and she looked lovely: small, flat nose, round face and slanting eyes. Her first cry had been particularly loud and clear. We brought her home in a few days. There was immense excitement with friends and neighbours dropping in to celebrate. We named her Rucha, a Sanskrit word for ‘Hymn’.

It was when we visited our paediatrician, that a slight anxiety overcast our joy. The doctor recommended that we do blood test for her – the Trisomy 21 Down Syndrome Test. At that time, we did not know anything about Down Syndrome. The doctor too did not tell us much. Anyway, we got the test done and it turned out to be positive. When we went back to the doctor, all that we were told was that her physical development would be slower than other children and to keep a close watch on her progress. Since Down Syndrome did not make much sense to us those days, we thought we could somehow surmount developmental and growth issues.

By the second year, we began to realise that Rucha’s response to activities was much slower than other children. Her growth also seemed delayed. She looked small for her age. Finally, we took her to a child specialist. She had one look at Rucha’s face, and declared that she had Down Syndrome. She told us Rucha would not be very good at studies and not to have any expectations from her. “Try and admit her in a school for special kids,” she added.

We were still grappling with Rucha’s condition and had not fully understood the problem. We thought we could battle it out and bring her on track with other children. As she grew, we got her a physiotherapist and speech therapist to set her developmental records straight. Her legs and hands were weak and her speech was unclear. But we noticed that she liked books. So we started getting her plenty of story and picture books. She could sit with her books for hours, flipping through the pages, staring at pictures. She would also watch television avidly.

Till the 4th Std, Rucha went to a regular school. But the early hours of school and increasing classwork, began to burden her. Unable to cope, we put her in a school for special kids. At her new school, she was the brightest among her classmates. She was the only one who could read and write. The class coordinator recommended that Rucha be shifted to a regular school. When we admitted her to a new school, she had to join two classes junior to her, as her English and Maths were weak.

In 2011, Rucha managed to complete her 10th Std and secured 58%. She was the first child with Down Syndrome in Maharashtra to have successfully completed her school. Rucha wanted to study further. We as her parents supported her enthusiastically. She enrolled for Sanskrit major for graduation. As her college was far from home and required a train journey, her mother too enrolled herself in the same college for post-graduation course, so that she could accompany Rucha to college. For two years, both mother and daughter attended college together.

Currently, Rucha is doing her Master’s in Sanskrit. Her goal is to complete her B.Ed degree so that she can become a Sanskrit teacher. Rucha is a quiet, reserved girl. She likes cooking and dancing. She has participated in several cultural programmes in college and won prizes.

We are extremely proud of our daughter. Sometimes, through her perseverance and determination, she gives us strength to carry forward and overcome our difficulties.

I would like to tell other parents who have children with Down Syndrome: Don't lose heart, remain motivated. I remember when Rucha was young, we were told she would not be able to study much, but she has proved them wrong. Rucha can be an inspiration for other similar children. Times have changed now, there is a lot more awareness about Down Syndrome and plenty of guidance. I think with extra initiative and support, children with Down Syndrome too can excel in their field of choice.

Condition