She stood on her feet year after heart transplant

Sweden D’Souza, Mumbai’s first paediatric

heart transplant

patient, scored 63.38% in commerce in HSC.

“I went to college only during the first few months of class XI as I had a problem breathing while travelling in train every day to reach college,” said the student of

Xavier’s College in Bhandup

. “I used to faint and feel uneasy while climbing stairs. I told my parents about the problem and when we consulted a doctor who said I had some heart problem,” said Sweden.

The heart transplant took place in January 2016, but it took her an entire year to completely recover and lead a normal life.

Sweden never went to college, but her sister Avril, who is two years younger to her, would get lecture notes from her friends.

Sweden managed to study for both SSC and HSC on her own without any guidance from teachers. “There were topics I didn’t understand and math problems I could never solve, but I would read and re-read the topics and still if I didn’t understand, I would rely on rote learning,” the teenager admitted.

Sweden’s father, who is employed as a security guard, faced a lot of financial hardships because of her health. “That’s why I wish to pursue a degree in BMS and find a job and help my family financially,” said Sweden.