Indore: Seven-Year-Old Boy With Down Syndrome Scales Mount Everest Base Camp With Father

Avneesh, who left for the Mount Everest base camp along with his father Aditya Tiwari on April 14, reached the summit on April 19.

Indore’s seven-year-old boy with Down Syndrome treks Mount Everest

A seven-year-old boy with Down Syndrome has made the country proud as he has climbed the Mount Everest base camp, creating a world record. Avneesh, who became the first child with Down Syndrome to do so, hoisted the tricolor after reaching a height of 18,200 feet.

The child Madhya Pradesh's Indore left for the Mount Everest base camp along with his father Aditya Tiwari on April 14 and reached the summit on April 19. He will return to Indore on April 23.

The father and son climbed with a weight of 70 kg, of which 10 kg was only the weight of medicines so Avneesh did not have to face any kind of trouble. The father had also kept a nebuliser machine for Avneesh to cope in the high altitude.

Aditya had given special training to his son to climbing Everest, as part of which he had even changed his son’s diet plan. Avneesh received training at different places of Indore for several months to stay friendly in the environment of Everest.

"Till now no child with Down Syndrome has gone to Mount Everest base camp at such a young age. The maximum altitude reached by any such child is 2800 meters above the sea level after which it becomes difficult due to medical conditions,” Aditya had told ANI before the trek.

With this feat, Avneesh has now become an inspiration for children seen as "weak".

Avneesh is Aditya's adopted son. It had made headlines when the unmarried software engineer, then 26 years of age, adopted the boy with Down Syndrome around five years ago.

He is raising Avneesh as an athlete and the boy has taken part in Special Olympics. He goes to Army school in Mhow.

'There Is Hope... For Those From Whom The World Has No Hope'

The minimum age limit currently to climb the Mount Everest from Nepal side is 16 years. Children can climb up to the base camp, which is at a height of 5,364 metres. It is, however, usually difficult for children with Down Syndrome to undertake such treks due to their medical conditions.  

Speaking about why he decided to climb the Mount Everest, Aditya said he wanted to change the world's mindset about special children.

He said they had once flown to Ladakh from Indore. Avneesh did not have any problem there and the oxygen level was fine. Later, they roamed around in Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam areas also for a few days, which are at 2,500 m above the sea level.

Aditya later decided to plan a Mount Everest expedition with his son. This journey to the base camp was, however, tougher as both the oxygen level and the temperatures were lower.

To accimatise better, he had decided to stay at every point for two to three days, and proceed further only if Avneesh's health allowed.

Little Avneesh did not disappoint, and the two successfully completed the trek.   

Elated with the feat, Aditya said Avneesh’s victory is not his victory alone.

“Rather there is hope. For those children who are orphans or disabled, for those from whom the world has no hope,” he said. “I want to change this perception and my son has changed it too.”