From ICU to Ivy League: The inspiring story of Saif Kamal

Saif Kamal, who was one of the key members of Dhaka Tribune's founding team, has shown incredible resilience and hope throughout his journey to success. He recently opened up about the most challenging period of his life while talking to the Harvard Gazette.

Seven years ago, a series of unexpected events significantly changed the course of Saif's life. 

This year, he graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, marking a significant milestone in his journey.

By 2017, Saif’s work in fostering inclusive innovation was gaining momentum. His efforts were recognized globally and he was even invited to the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos. However, shortly after this, Saif's life took a drastic turn.

In 2018, after suffering a stroke, he was admitted to a hospital.

“I woke up in an ICU after 14 days. When I woke up, my left side was paralyzed. My vision was gone. I could not move anything, and 60% of my brain was damaged,” Saif recounted.

He was diagnosed with Behçet's disease, a rare autoimmune condition. Each day brought new challenges, and Saif had to relearn fundamental skills like walking and talking.

In 2019, as Saif began to recover, he faced another setback.

Over the next three years, immunocompromised Saif suffered lung failure, a Covid-19 infection and a tumour that needed removal. He continued to struggle with a slow muscular recovery through pandemic shutdowns.

“When the world is always moving and you are not, you feel that you are falling behind. When the rest of the world slowed down, I felt relieved,” Saif said.

“At first, it was a journey of survival,” Saif said. “And then it became a journey of thriving. I found a new path ahead.”

In 2023, Harvard welcomed Saif into its Learning Design, Innovation and Technology program. The university provided a nurturing environment that recognized and embraced his talent and identity, despite his disabilities.

“I can physically, mentally, cognitively feel change in me,” he said. “They say that if you take the frog out of a pond, the frog will die. Sometimes you need to get a frog out of the pond so it will find new ways to survive and jump around and learn new things.”

Saif said now his career goal is to find ways to empower others to change the world through their entrepreneurial leadership.

“I'm grateful to the supportive community of Harvard, which both challenged me and uplifted me.”