Even after polio, a child's hope for the future lives on

Fourteen-year-old Sadiqullah lives in Andar district of Ghazni province. He contracted polio at the age of three, which left one of his legs and one arm paralyzed. But the disease could not stop him from pursuing his education or his dream for the future. He is now in sixth grade, and he hopes to become a doctor one day, a doctor who can help ensure that other children do not have to live with the effects of polio as he does.

Ghazni, Afghanistan - Among the mud houses of Maidadwal village, children run, play and enjoy the ordinary moments of childhood. Sadiqullah is one of them, but since the age of three, his childhood has been shaped by an experience that remains part of his life.

He was only three when he fell ill, with a fever, body aches and chills. At first, his family thought he might have an ordinary illness, but when his condition worsened, they took him to Kabul for treatment. There, doctors told them he had polio.

For the family, the outcome was heartbreaking: Sadiqullah was left with one leg and one arm paralyzed.

His father, Abdul Qayum, still remembers those days.

"I never thought his illness would become so serious. I thought it was just an ordinary fever and that he would get better. But when we took him to Kabul and the doctors told me that my son was paralyzed by polio, it hit me very hard."

Abdul Qayum had hoped that his son would grow up to be a healthy, strong young man who would help him in the fields and with work around the house. Sadiqullah's illness changed the family's picture of the future.

Yet Sadiqullah’s life is not defined only by the effects of polio. Despite his limitations, he dreams of playing, studying and building a better future, just like other children.

A clear goal despite limitations

Now 14, Sadiqullah is a sixth-grade student at a school in Maidadwal village, Andar district. He still has difficulty with some physical tasks and cannot do all the heavy work his father does. But he goes to school, studies and has set a clear goal for his future.

He wants to become a doctor.

"I know I'm different from other able-bodied people. There are things they do easily that I can't, and sometimes I feel that difference very strongly."

But that difference does not define his future.

Sadiqullah wants to complete his education and pursue a profession that will open a new path in life for him while allowing him to benefit others. His dream of becoming a doctor is not just a career choice. He hopes that one day he can share his experience with other children and families so that they understand the importance of preventing polio.

"My hope is to complete my studies and become a doctor."

 © Polio Free Afghanistan | 2026

Sadiqullah, 14, lives in Maidadwal village, Andar district, Ghazni province. Paralyzed by polio at age three, he is now in sixth grade and hopes to become a doctor one day.

A father's support and encouragement to study

For Sadiqullah, his father's support is an important part of daily life. Abdul Qayum is a farmer who does hard physical labor to provide for the household. But he tries to keep his son away from heavy tasks as much as possible so that he can focus on his studies.

Sadiqullah says his father always tells him not to give up on school and to work for a better future.

He also helps with household and farm tasks that are within his ability.

"I try to help my father with the work I'm able to do."

But the most important thing for him is education. He believes that school and learning will help him reach his goals despite his physical limitations and build a better future for himself.

From a family’s experience to an important lesson

Sadiqullah's illness has changed both his and his father's perspective.

Abdul Qayum says that back then, he did not fully understand the importance of the polio vaccine. But when his son contracted polio and was left with one leg and one arm paralyzed, he came to understand the value of vaccination firsthand.

He now wants to share his experience with other families.

"Now I know how heavy a price you can pay for being careless about vaccination. I don't want other families to go through what we went through."

For him, Sadiqullah's story is no longer only a source of past pain. It is an experience he wants other families to learn from, so that they can keep their children safe from polio.

 © Polio Free Afghanistan | 2026

Sadiqullah with his friends in Maidadwal village, Andar district, Ghazni province.

A dream bigger than polio

Sadiqullah does not want people to see only the paralysis polio left him with. He wants to be known as a student, a hardworking child and a future doctor.

He knows that some paths are different for him than for other children, but he continues to go to school, study and move toward his goal.

His greatest hope is to complete his studies and become a doctor.

But behind that dream lies another hope: he does not want any other child to grow up with the permanent effects of polio, as he has.

"I don't want another child to share my fate. Parents must vaccinate their children, without fail. If a child is paralyzed, there is no chance of recovery, and in the end parents are left with nothing but regret."

In the small world of Maidadwal village, where children play and dream about their futures, Sadiqullah has a dream of his own. Polio took away part of his childhood, but it could not take away his hope for a better future.

Today, his focus is on school, his studies and his dream of becoming a doctor. His hope is that no child will have to live with the lifelong effects of a disease that can be prevented through vaccination.