Turning Dreams into Reality

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Turning Dreams into Reality Dare to Dream. This is the Theme for the year in St. Louis School. Just because we dream of something does not mean that it will come true. But unless we dream of great things we will definitely not achieve them. So we encourage all students to dream, and then work hard to achieve their dreams. What happens however, when a student is faced with great difficulties, maybe physical, maybe financial? Does such a child still dare to dream? Or do we simply ask such a child to give up his hopes, his dreams, his goals and aspirations?

Shivam Sai Gupta

Meet Shivam Sai Gupta. Born in Patna, Bihar, in 1995, Shivam suffered from a congenital disorder called “Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome”. In desperation Shivam’s father, Mr. Dinesh Kumar Gupta, visited hundreds of doctors, but to no avail. This rare disorder which affects only about 1 in 100,000 people has no cure. Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome affects the development of the blood and lymph vessels, soft tissues and bones. In fact Shivam had one leg longer than the other. While his friends were participating in sports and games, Shivam had difficulty walking.

In order to study more about this disease, and understand its effects on his child, Mr. Dinesh Gupta purchased a computer. Shivam, who was 8 at that time, began to use the computer and the programs in it like PowerPoint and Corel R.A.V.E to develop games. Battling problems like frequent power failures, a slow Internet connection, financial difficulties and constant pain due to his physical condition, he also taught himself 3D Animation and began developing Visual Effects for movies and games.

On 26/11/2008, Mumbai came under a violent and horrific terrorist attack. Shivam, like the rest of us, watched on the television as the tragedy unfolded before his eyes. Feeling frustrated and angry, Shivam decided to do something. As a tribute to the many people who lost their lives in this terror attack, Shivam developed a video game “Terror Attack, Project Fateh”. He hopes that this game will encourage more young people to join the Armed Forces and help combat terrorism. He thus became the youngest Indian game developer.

Video game: Terror Attack, Project Fateh

Shivam at the INK Conference 2010

This feat was widely recognized by the gaming Industry worldwide. He was honored at Nasscom’s Gaming And Animation Conclave and the INK (Innovation and Knowledge) conference. Terror Attack, Project Fateh was a winner at Intel’s LevelUp Contest 2010.

When he was 14 an event occurred in his life which Shivam considers to be nothing short of miraculous. After a visit to Shirdi, he noticed that his physical problems began to reduce. None of his doctors could believe it until they saw the X-Rays which showed that Shivam’s legs were now of the same length. The other symptoms too disappeared, which the doctors could not explain. Shivam though was happy and continued to go on about his studies and work. He learned three Computer languages and developed many more games; including one which tackles the issue of Child Obesity. He has even written a self-help book on coping with eating disorders. He is now developing a 3-D printer. Today, Shivam is a Software programmer, Visual Effects designer, Games Developer, Film maker and Website designer. He loves Public Speaking, and has addressed several press conferences. Shivam has been featured in many newspapers articles and on many Television Channels. He has met and interacted with Business leaders and celebrities around the world.

Shivam in Hollywood

With Tina Fey Emmy Award Winner

More information about this amazing prodigy can be found on Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and many sites on the Web. "There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other." ---Douglas Everett This quotation from Shivam’s blog illustrates very nicely his never-give-up attitude. Shivam dislikes a negative attitude and making excuses. So the answer to the question is an emphatic no. We should not stop dreaming. No matter what hardships and hurdles you face, never give up your dreams. Each obstacle that comes your way simply means that you have to work harder to achieve your dreams

Oh, by the way, Shivam is also a student. He is in XI Standard, studying Science in St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Shivam, with his friends at Malhar

George Ferrao