PHILADELPHIA, PA—Pranav Arora was diagnosed with Leukemia in August of 2012, when he was only six years old. He had to leave his home in Malaysia and travel to Australia for medical treatment, but after four months there, doctors suggested he travel to the United States for a bone marrow transplant.
The brave little boy and his family landed in Philadelphia in December of 2012 to an uncertain future.
UPDATE: In April, Pranav surpassed the Mathematician level and earned FIM Genius status.
“My son’s transplant finally happened in February of 2013, but he could not return to school until November, and was still only partially recovered,” recalls his father, Amit Arora. “Barbara Light, his teacher at St. Francis Xavier School, introduced him to First In Math, and he immediately got hooked on it. He loves numbers and mental math and seldom uses a notepad to do calculations, and since math is a common language across countries, it helped him stay focused throughout.”
Within four months, the plucky second-grader scored more than 2,800 stickers, eventually reaching FIM’s Mathematician status in March of 2014. He aims to reach the Grand Champion level in the coming months, and then hopes to join the Ultimate Grand Champion Club of students who have earned more than 50,000 stickers—a lofty goal he set his sights on when he heard that only a handful of children had done it.
Pranav’s father believes that First In Math helped his son regain lost confidence. “In a new country and completely new environment, establishing himself was tough. Given his illness and ongoing treatment, and the fact that he was uprooted from his home and moved across three continents in five months he has made us proud with his positive attitude and desire to achieve.”
“Thanks in part to FIM, Pranav no longer feels alienated in this new country and his new school. His math skills have won him friends and appreciation from his peers and teachers,” says Amit.
St. Francis Principal, Dolores Butler, says Pranav came back slowly but is now well enough to attend school full-time. “He is a happy boy who enjoys being with his classmates and he works very hard. Recently we asked students to write about a place that was special to each of them—he wrote about Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,” says Butler.
These days, Amit is thankful to have a happy, healthy son, and is glad to be able to share his story. “I hope my son’s success can be an inspiration to other children who are dealing with serious issues.”
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What is a FIM Mathematician? A Player Badge icon appears on each Player Homepage, and indicates progress in the program, based on stickers earned. To become a MATHEMATICIAN, players need to earn more than 3,000 stickers.