WITH a broken leg and on a broken wheelchair, to which he is confined, Josiah Thomas defied all odds to achieve remarkable success at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.
Thomas, 18, who was born with Cerebral palsy at birth and told that he would never walk or talk, passed six subjects, including a grade one in information technology (IT).
Results were released on Friday night and his amazing triumph was posted on Facebook by Minister in the Ministry of Education Dr Lovell Francis, who is also Thomas’ MP.
In an interview on Saturday morning, Thomas attributed his success to the support of his parents, staff and students at Rio Claro East Secondary School.
He said he went to school in a wheelchair his mother Sharon “bandaged” with leather. She travelled with him to and from their New Grant home to his Rio Claro school every day of the examinations because the bus was down.
Sharon gave thanks and praise to God for his success. She said he has never seen himself as “different” and his family and peers also rallied around him to ensure that he was not treated as “not normal”
She said her son is determined to succeed and she knows that he will realise his goal.
Thomas is at the moment seeking to continue his studies in IT a the CAPE level and later pursue a career as a computer technician.
In his FB post, Francis wrote, “Everyone please join me in celebrating young Mr Josiah Thomas of New Grant, a student of Rio Claro East Secondary School.
“Josiah was diagnosed at birth with cerebral palsy but through sheer grit, determination, hard work and the support of a loving and dedicated mother, he has graduated with six (yes six) subjects at CSEC, including a grade 1.
“Not even a broken leg suffered on the eve of these exams proved able to deter him. Congrats to Josiah, his mother, his student aid and the whole New Grant and Rio Claro East families.
NEWSDAY REPORT