Nabarangpur, Sept 2: Under a broken tin roof in a small village of Nabarangpur, a young boy once dreamed of becoming a doctor.
The dream seemed almost impossible. Poverty had already made life difficult for his family, and the death of his father when he was only in Class 8 pushed the family deeper into hardship. Yet, Mahendra Gond refused to let circumstances decide his future.
Today, the tribal student from Sanpur village under Raighar block is on the threshold of fulfilling that childhood dream. After clearing the NEET examination, Mahendra has secured eligibility for admission to Burla Medical College in the first round of counselling.
For the villagers who watched him grow up, his success may not come as a surprise. Even as a young student, Mahendra’s academic brilliance stood out. His talent shone so brightly that people affectionately called him the “little doctor.”
But behind that nickname was a boy carrying a much bigger dream—and a much heavier burden.
A childhood marked by loss
Mahendra was the youngest in a family of seven children, with his mother, four sisters and elder brother Subhash. His father’s death while Mahendra was studying in Class 8 changed everything.
With the family’s main source of support gone, financial hardship became a daily reality. The family lived under a damaged tin roof, struggling to make ends meet. But amid the uncertainty, Mahendra held on to one thing—his education.
He helped his mother with household chores while keeping his studies at the centre of his life.
His hard work soon began to show. He completed Class 10 from a high school near his village with an impressive 90 per cent marks. He then pursued Plus Two Science at the district’s Eklavya Model Higher Secondary School, securing around 70 per cent.
For Mahendra, however, good marks were not the destination. They were steps towards a much bigger goal: becoming a doctor.
A brother’s sacrifice, a family’s faith
With his sights set on medicine, Mahendra moved to Jeypore to pursue higher education at Vikram Dev Autonomous College.
His elder brother Subhash became one of his strongest pillars of support. Working on the family’s agricultural land, Subhash managed to send whatever money he could to his younger brother.
But money was often scarce.
While other students returned home during vacations, Mahendra stayed back in Jeypore so that he could continue studying. Even when the hostel was closed, returning home was not always an option.
He would walk to a distant Aahar Centre to have the ₹5 meal.
On some nights, even that was beyond reach. Biscuits became his dinner.
His elder sister also contributed to his education, working as a cook’s helper to earn money for his studies.
For Mahendra, hunger and hardship became part of the journey—but neither was allowed to become an excuse to stop.
The pain that became a purpose
There was a deeply personal reason behind Mahendra’s dream of becoming a doctor.
As a child, he had watched his father struggle with illness. The family could not provide him with the quality medical treatment he needed, and eventually Mahendra lost his father.
That loss stayed with him.
Instead of allowing the experience to break him, Mahendra turned it into a purpose. He decided that one day he would become a doctor and ensure that people in his own region had access to better healthcare.
His dream was no longer only about changing his own life. It was about changing the lives of people around him.
A mother’s tears of joy
Years of hardship, sacrifice and perseverance have now brought Mahendra to the doorstep of medical college.
For his mother, who watched her son struggle through poverty after losing his father, his achievement is more than a rank or an admission. It is the culmination of years of hope and sacrifice.
Her son, once known in the village as the “little doctor,” is now preparing to take his first real step towards becoming one.
Mahendra’s journey carries a simple but powerful message: circumstances may be difficult, poverty may stand in the way, and the road to success may be long. But determination, hard work, confidence and an unwavering dream can help a student overcome even the toughest obstacles.
From nights spent surviving on biscuits to earning a place in medical college, Mahendra has shown that sometimes the biggest dreams are born in the most difficult circumstances.
