UP Government to fund treatment for 7-year-old who hopped 400 metres to school

 

A seven-year-old girl who caught public's fancy on social media for hopping nearly 400 metres to reach her school despite having physical disability will get complete medical treatment from the state government.

Ragini, a class 1 student of Primary School Digheda in Ballia district's Manier area, had gone viral after her video of hopping on one leg to reach the school went viral. The girl from Ranipur village in Manier area has learnt to deal with most of her chores despite her disability.

Her family says a road accident when she was barely six months old left her with a serious leg injury. But that has not stopped the determined girl from wanting to go to school. Although her school is about 400 metres away from her house, she often reaches there by hopping on to her left leg, sometimes helped by her family members.

District Magistrate Mangla Prasad Singh said after interacting with her family, a team of doctors including an orthopaedist and senior-most doctor examined the girl and she would undergo tests at BHU (Banaras Hindu University) after which the medical team will decide if she needs any specific kind of treatment or surgery.

The entire treatment of the girl will be taken care of by the state government.

The District Magistrate also visited the girl's home with other officials where he interacted with her family to know about her medical and personal needs. The district administration has gifted two tricycles, books, a school bag, toys and chocolates to the little girl.

Ragini's mother, Babita Devi said that they were not able to afford any further treatment as her father is a labourer. But the determined little girl wanted to study and would watch other kids going to the school with her bag and ask them to take her too.

The officials have now assured the family that Ragini's financial needs would not be a problem. For the determined little girl, whose inspirational video has gone viral on social media, the state government's support has opened up a new hope that perhaps one day soon she would be able to stand and walk on her own.