Ananya Mishra

"I have been fighting with Asthma since I was 3 years old. I have never participated in any kind of sports and have always been restricted from having ice-cream, cold drinks, fruits and all such things which might spur up the problem.These restrictions have been imposed on me since 17 years and would be with me till death. Any day I break one restriction, I have to pay back with much suffering and pain .When I walk beyond my capacity (that's different from other ordinary kids) I need my inhaler beside me, you can say I carry my lungs out of my body or that inhaler is a part of my body which makes me feel caged all the time. I study in VSSUT, Burla and the only distance I have travelled in my life is from Cuttack (home) to Burla.

I have friends who don't understand my pain and mock me for being so fat and weak from within, and some think am faking it. They make fun of me by saying that "my issue is much more complicated than their break-up stories". I have few friends who actually care for me and help me out in painful situations, and am really thankful to them. At times I feel like my parents are fed up taking care of me and need a break. It feels terrible to be dependent and at times my relatives sit down to calculate the money spent on my medications. It's a huge amount and I feel sorry for my parents, that most of their savings that are spent on me could have been used in buying them a house. But, still life goes on, and with each day passing by, I get up from bed with a positive vibe to face the world with all my abilities and disabilities. Someday , I hope that I might win the battle that I fight with Asthma." - Ananya Mishra