HYDERABAD: Even before she was born, scans showed several 'bends' in
Vijaya
Deepika Gangapatnam's bones. Her father says the 13-year-old is like "glass" because of
Brittle Bone Disease
that has caused 45 fractures till now.
Yet, her life seems to have more steel than glass as she turns the tables on fate to become a star para table tennis player: She was the youngest to win a medal at the UTT Para Table Tennis National Championship in Indore this March.
In fact, the Secunderabad girl clinched silver in singles and bronze in doubles.
The bespectacled home schooled girl was drawn to the sport after seeing elder brother Vijaytej (20) playing tennis and travelling for tournaments. But given her condition -unlike other teenagers her age, a fall for Vijaya doesn't mean just a bruised knee or a scraped elbow, but a fracture - her father
Vijay Bhaskar
Raju introduced Vijaya to
TT
at home.
"She suffered fractures even during the delivery as doctors didn't know she was already suffering from the disease," Bhaskar, a defence accounts auditor, says as he recalls daughter Vijaya's pre-birth scan that showed feeble bones.
Vijaya suffered most of her fractures while crawling as a toddler. "Her body weight was on her hands. Now, she uses different wheelchairs at home and to play. While changing wheelchairs, she fell a few times and fractured her legs and hands. She slipped many times in the bath and broke her legs,"
Bhaskar
adds.
We have to take care of her like glass: Vijaya's dad
It was an ordeal for Vijaya to walk till she turned seven and her fractures led to hip and knee surgeries. These affected her movements, requiring her to take help for most day-to-day chores. "We have to take care of her like glass," Bhaskar says.
Unlike other teens, Vijaya can't go to school because of her multiple surgeries and risk of further injury. "My parents and brother are very supportive. They teach me at home. I plan to write my Class X exams through open school this year or next," she says.
Mother
Aruna
recalls that one of Vijaya's fractures occurred when she fell trying to reach an upper berth in a train. They were travelling to one of Vijaytej's tennis tournaments. "We carry crepe bandages and painkillers all the time," Aruna says.
While Vijaytej hit the courts, Vijaya took to table game. In Indore where she took the second spot, she lost only to Bhavina Patel, the silver medallist at the 2020
Paralympics
. Vijaya now dreams of representing India and winning a medal at the Paralympics.
Bhaskar outlined the challenges. "Travelling is costly and we are looking for sponsors to achieve her dream," he says.
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