In a remarkable show of spirit a seriously ill boy celebrated his birthday in an intensive care unit at a hospital on June 22.

The 13-year-old boy is undergoing treatment for heart, liver and kidney related ailments at a private hospital in Jabalpur in northern India.

On the day of his birthday, the boy, who cannot be named under Indian laws, lamented that he had been cutting a cake every year but was holed up in a hospital now.

When the nurses conveyed his desire, Dr Shailendra Rajput, who is treating him, decided to arrange a small party for him.

But when the cake was brought to the boy on the evening of June 22, he was a little drowsy, and Dr Rajput decided to put off the party by two days. But the boy insisted that he would recover, and pulled himself up in 15 minutes, and cut the cake.

Dr Rajput said: “The boy is very gritty and the celebration boosted his morale. He is now off the ventilator.”