While the school is supposed to be a place where a student could feel welcomed and taken care of at all times, it is a sad reality that many teachers and principals do not realize the huge role they play in the lives of their students.
Dhaval Khatri was 14 years old when he lost his arms to an accident while having fun in the festivities during one of India’s biggest festivals, the Uttarayan which is also known as the International Kite Festival.
Photo credit: Dhaval Khatri a unique artist / Facebook
He was just flying a kite from a relative’s terrace when he accidentally touched a live wire. Falling to the ground below, Dhaval nearly lost his life. His heart had stopped beating. But a doctor who was just passing by at that moment saw the kid fall and rushed to his side.
The doctor performed CPR, accompanying the family even as they rushed him to the hospital. Thanks to this doctor, Dhaval survived; however, he lost both of his arms.
Photo credit: Dhaval Khatri a unique artist / Facebook
Photo credit: Dhaval Khatri a unique artist / Facebook
Photo credit: Dhaval Khatri a unique artist / Facebook
“Losing your both the hands at the age of 14, I realized that life would continue to be difficult,” Dhaval recalled.
But life would soon become harder for the teen when the principal refused to accept him back in school.
“YOU ARE OF NO USE to us. You have no hands so obtaining education is just a dream for you,” the principal told Dhaval.
Refusing to get these words bring him down, Dhaval moved to another school.
Photo credit: Dhaval Khatri a unique artist / Facebook
But he would soon doubt himself and his capabilities. With no hands, he thought his life was over; yet his mother was there to support and encourage him. She trained him – and made him spend hours practicing how to use a pen and pencil using what’s left of his arms.
Spending hours holding a pen and pencil, Dhaval would soon discover that he had a talent in art. Soon, he was making such impressive artwork that people came to commission his services for portraits!
Photo credit: Dhaval Khatri a unique artist / Facebook
But the rejection didn’t stop there.
“Gradually, I turned to sketching and painting. For six full months, I dedicated myself towards it and got a grip on it. Now, I was able to draw sketches and make paintings fluently,” he revealed.
“On one side my schooling was going on and on the other side I was learning to paint all by myself. After my college I applied at different Universities for a course in painting but each and every university rejected me. So, I started doing painting without any guidance.”
Photo credit: Dhaval Khatri a unique artist / Facebook
Photo credit: Dhaval Khatri a unique artist / Facebook
Despite all the rejections, he pushed himself to improve his skills on his own – and his impressive artwork now speak of his amazing talent! The teen who was turned away from school for having no arms is now a famous artist in India! Wow.
