Jammu, Aug 16: In the remote hills of Duggan, a quiet village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, the story of eight-year-old Akshay Sharma has become a symbol of resilience, hope, and human compassion. Born with a cleft lip and palate, Akshay underwent corrective surgery at the age of three but remained unable to speak—his world, filled with silence, had left his family heartbroken and his childhood isolated.
The youngest of three siblings, Akshay comes from a humble household. His father, Kulwant Sharma, is a civilian labourer with the Army, and his mother, Santosh Devi, manages the home. Despite financial hardship, the Sharmas have always prioritized education. Yet, Akshay’s inability to speak weighed heavily on their hearts. Local doctors insisted that speech would come with time, but years passed, and their hopes began to fade.
Everything changed in June 2025 when Captain Saurabh Salunkhe, a young Army doctor recently posted as the Regimental Medical Officer of 7 SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY, visited Duggan during a routine outreach program. Trained at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, and having served at 167 Military Hospital, Pathankot, Capt. Salunkhe noticed something others had missed—Akshay’s condition wasn’t irreversible.
Realizing that Akshay needed speech therapy, but aware that Duggan lacked such facilities, Capt. Salunkhe made a life-changing decision: he would teach himself speech therapy and personally help Akshay regain his voice.
In his off-duty hours, Capt. Salunkhe began daily sessions with Akshay, focusing on:
Gargling to strengthen throat muscles
Tongue and jaw exercises for flexibility
Learning nasal, oral, and labial sounds
Gradual progression to palatal and throat sounds
Daily practice lasting 2–3 hours
The process was slow and at times frustrating. But with patient support from Capt. Salunkhe and his family, Akshay persisted. Months later, the breakthrough came—he called his parents, and for the first time, called his siblings “bhaiya” and “didi.”
Tears flowed freely that day. His mother wept with joy, his father stood speechless, and the entire village rejoiced. Akshay’s transformation was not just personal—it was deeply communal.
Today, Akshay speaks fluently, answers questions in class, reads aloud, and is active in school life. His newfound confidence has reshaped his identity, and his story has spread across Duggan as a beacon of what compassion and dedication can achieve.
For Duggan, this was more than a medical milestone—it was a miracle. And for Capt. Saurabh Salunkhe, it was a reaffirmation of the true spirit of service: healing not just through medicine, but through humanity.
Akshay’s voice, once silenced, now rings out with laughter and promise—a daily reminder that sometimes, heroes wear stethoscopes under their uniforms.