Jammu: After eight long years of silence, eight-year-old Akshay Sharma from a village in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, has finally found his voice, thanks to the efforts of an Army doctor.
Born with a cleft lip and palate, Akshay underwent surgery at the age of three but was still unable to speak. His parents, civilian labourers with the Indian Army, could not afford further treatment and had nearly lost hope of ever hearing their son speak.
“The family’s hope was revived when Captain Saurabh Salunkhe, an Army doctor posted in the area, met Akshay,” said Defence PRO Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal.
Upon examining the boy, Captain Salunkhe realised that with proper speech therapy, Akshay could learn to speak. With no such facilities available in the remote village, the doctor took it upon himself to acquire the necessary techniques and train Akshay personally.
For eight weeks, Salunkhe devoted two to three hours daily, during his duty hours, to guide the young boy. “Training began with simple gargles, tongue, and jaw exercises, gradually progressing to distinguishing nasal and oral sounds, labial and palatal sounds, and finally practicing throat sounds,” Bartwal said. “Slowly, words turned into sentences, and Akshay began speaking with confidence.”
The breakthrough moment came when Akshay, a Class 3 student at Duggan High School, finally called out to his parents. “Overcome with emotion, they described it as nothing short of a miracle,” Bartwal added.
“What began as a soldier’s act of kindness has brought hope to an entire community, showing that the Army not only protects the nation’s borders but also touches lives in profound ways,” the officer said.
