Diabetes took his eyesight. A heart attack cost him a leg. But neither could stand in the way of S Deepu, who overcame years of medical setbacks to realise his dream of becoming a lawyer. The 48-year-old, who currently serves as vice-president of the Alappuzha District Congress Committee (DCC), was enrolled as an advocate on Sunday.

Deepu's battle with different ailments began in 2015 while he was serving as the Alappuzha district president of the Youth Congress. At just 36, diabetes took the vision in his right eye and, before long, from his left eye as well. Though he underwent three surgeries, the vision in his right eye could not be restored.

Doctors offered little hope for the left eye as well, but Deepu chose to undergo surgery again, and in 2019, got vision restored in his left eye.

Barely a year later, another life-altering setback followed. During the local body elections in December 2020, he suffered a heart attack that cut off blood supply to his right leg. Months of hospitalisation and multiple surgeries failed to save the limb, which forced the doctors to amputate it below the knee. He then underwent an open heart surgery to remove arterial blockages before returning to active life.  

Undeterred by the setbacks, Deepu returned to public life in 2022 with a prosthetic leg and resumed his political activities in Alappuzha. At the same time, he pursued his legal studies, a journey that culminated in his enrolment as an advocate on Sunday.

A total of 1,263 law graduates were enrolled as advocates at an enrolment ceremony organised by the Kerala Bar Council over five sessions across two days.