'Kaneer vendam thambi': Stalin promises to facilitate hand transplant for Krishnagiri student

KRISHNAGIRI: Thursday was a day of assurance for Keerthi Varma, an 18-year-old boy in Jeenur area near Krishnagiri, who scored 471 out of 600 marks in the Class XII state board exams despite the fact his arms were cut from the elbows after an electric shock in his childhood.Keerthi, who studied at the Government Higher Secondary School in Kurubarapalli, wrote the exams with the assistance of a scribe.After his exam result was announced, local reporters met him and his mother, Kasthuri, at their home. While talking to them, the boy requested chief minister M K Stalin to facilitate his hand transplant. He said doctors had told him hand transplant could be done once he turned 18. "I request the CM to help restore my hands," he said.“Kaneer vendam thambi" (No more tears brother), Stalin posted on X on learning about the student’s request. The CM mentioned that assistance would be coordinated through health minister Ma Subramanian. It didn’t take much time for the health minister to contact Keerthi’s mother over the phone. He asked them to reach Chennai on Friday for treatment. “We will travel to Chennai with health department officials on Friday,” Kasthuri said.Keerthi and his mother, Kasthuri, expressed their thanks to the CM and the minister.Keerthi was raised by his mother as his parents separated when he was a child. He developed a passion for education. Despite his disability, he excelled academically, achieving the highest marks in his school with a score of 437 out of 500 marks in the Class X board examination. He received accolades from Stalin, actor Vijay and others at that time.On Thursday, Krishnagiri district collector S Dinesh Kumar visited the student at his home, congratulated him and inquired about his needs. Keerthi indicated that he required a laptop for his studies. The collector promised to provide one, utilizing funds from his discretionary budget, and committed to supporting his higher education. “With the assistance of the Tamil Nadu govt, your hands will also be restored,” the collector assured him.The district administration gave Keerthi a laptop in the evening.DMK district secretary and Bargur DMK MLA Mathiyazhagan visited the student, promising to facilitate hand transplantation. He presented him a copy of a Thirukkural and gave a financial aid of Rs 25,000.Keerthi told TOI that his ambition was to study. "I have scored 471 marks and aspire to pursue a degree in robotics or artificial intelligence," he said.