Thamizharasi M was worried when her six-month old daughter J Ashuvata did not roll over or respond to sounds. When a child neurologist diagnosed her with cerebral palsy, she was shocked and disappointed. However, the initial bewilderment did not last long. Thamizharasi says, “People expected me to be depressed, but I took a vow that I’ll be with her no matter what.”
Determined to make her daughter’s life better, she sprung into action. Talking to experts on the field, other parents and enrolling her daughter in therapy classes, she began charting the path for her daughter, learning from everyday lessons.
Within a few months, she could see a remarkable improvement in Ashuvata.
She confesses that it was her daughter who gave her the strength through the turbulent times.
“She is my best friend. She has the ability to comfort people like none other. Sometimes, when my husband and I have our squabbles, she tells me not to worry. Her hand movement is involuntary due to cerebral palsy, but wherever she senses that I’m stressed or angry, she strokes my arms gently. That is the best feeling in the world,” says the mother.
A brilliant student, Ashuvata, who is in class three, has been transferred to regular curriculum school this academic year.
Thamizharasi makes it a point to take her daughter to all social gatherings she attends and is never bogged down by whispers.
Thamizharasi underwent Montessori training to help children like her daughter and is now a teacher in Prabha’s Children Academy. “Over the years, I’ve learnt not to underestimate her. I know that she is capable of everything in her unique way. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I would never trade her for anything in the world,” adds Thamizharasi, with her voice quivering with emotion.
