THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Soumya Purushothaman, 39, has been battling Systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disorder for the past several years. She was barely 14 when the disease crippled her life. She was bedridden for a year. It was music that came to her rescue then. When the family saw her tapping to the beats of a song, they started making her listen to more songs, as per the doctor’s advice. What started as therapy gradually became her life.
After undergoing surgery, mobility was restored and she could start using a wheelchair. And by the time she was 15, Soumya started singing in music programmes even as she was confined to a wheelchair. Soon, she went on to launch her own music band ‘Symphony’ which was later renamed ‘Jyothiraga Orchestra’. For Soumya, music was her medicine, a passion that infused hope and joy.
She began to stage music performances on television as well as other shows. Even as the financial burden of the surgeries and medication continued, Soumya managed with her sheer willpower. But the disease was also catching up with her. Her health worsened further two months ago and she has been advised not to strain herself by singing. As part of medical intervention, hip replacement surgery was performed on her two months ago. She is due for another hip replacement surgery, but with no money and her livelihood affected, Soumya has resorted to selling fish from home. For the past two months, life has been tortuous. “I have been asked not to sing. It’s difficult for me to talk even. There is immense pain and I don’t know how long I can suffer like this,” says Soumya, who resides at Peroorkada.
“A few weeks ago, we started selling clothes. But despite getting a few orders, it wasn’t enough. Those who bought the garments were the ones who knew me and it isn’t feasible for them to continue buying from me when everyone is financially affected by the pandemic. I thought of selling provisions, but we don’t have space to store them. That’s when I decided to sell fish,” says Soumya.
It’s been two weeks since she started sourcing fish from the market, cleaning them at home, and delivering it to customers. Until a week ago, Soumya would go to Vizhinjam at 3am to buy fish.
“I am not healthy enough to travel. So now, my brother Sooraj goes and buys the fish. And then my mother and I clean the fish and my brother delivers it to customers. It was going okay until two days ago when I had another medical emergency and we couldn’t take orders for two days. So I lost a few customers,” says Soumya. Even as the hip replacement surgery is due, Soumya has no clue as to how to raise that kind of money.
“The surgery can cost several lakhs. The medication will cost extra. The injection itself costs me Rs 1,500 daily,” says Soumya. “It’s difficult for me to talk. Even now, I do try to sing, when people call me to participate on Facebook live. They give me money. Sometimes I give back the money when I can’t sing,” says Soumya, still coughing, even as she prepares for another Facebook live. Soumya had recently shared abour her new business venture in her Facebook account - ‘Singer Soumya Purushothaman’.