NAGAPATTINAM: It was an emotional moment for IAS officer Dr J Radhakrishnan and his family on Saturday as they saw their goddaughter with her own newborn. Their association began 20 years ago when she was rescued from the ruins left by the Indian Ocean Tsunami that struck the Tamil Nadu coast too.
Dr Radhakrishnan was the district collector of Thanjavur when the tsunami laid waste and claimed thousands of lives in the erstwhile integrated Nagapattinam district on December 26, 2004. He was sent by the government to Nagapattinam to monitor the rescue works and soon was posted as the district's collector.
There, Radhakrishnan met four-year-old Sowmya who lost her parents in the tsunami and was rescued by the nuns associated with the Velankanni shrine. "It is overwhelming to see our goddaughter grow up and become a mother herself. Our family felt blessed," said Radhakrishnan who met Sowmya at her foster home in Nagapattinam. Radhakrishnan was joined by his wife Krithika, son Dr R Arvind and Collector P Akash.
Sowmya grew up in Annai Sathiya Government Children's Home in Nagapattinam where dozens of other rescued children were admitted. Meena, rescued from the tsunami's ruins as a toddler, soon became Sowmya's constant companion. Radhakrishnan and Krithika kept visiting the children at the government home.
After people came forward to adopt and foster all the children from the home, only Meena and Sowmya were left. "I was shattered when we visited the girls in 2018 when they said no one came for them," said Radhakrishnan, who is currently the additional chief secretary in-charge of Co-operation, Food, and Consumer Protection Department.
To Radhakrishnan's relief, A Manivannan, a marine product trader, and his wife M Malarvizhi volunteered to foster them in 2019. Sowmya studied BA Economics and is currently pursuing nursing with the support from Radhakrishnan and other sponsors. She married K Subash, a technician, in 2022. Radhakrishnan was overjoyed as he solemnised the wedding.
"The lives of Sowmya, Meena and the other children are stories of resilience. They display the resilience of Nagapattinam after the tsunami," he noted. Sowmya delivered a girl on October 21. The newborn has been named 'Sara'. Radhakrishnan and his family showered them with gifts. "Life has come full circle for us to see our girl," Krithika said.
Malarvizhi, a juvenile justice board member, said, "We recently found a (matrimonial) alliance for Meena. We are immensely happy as she is getting settled as well."