Babli
Babli – A Warrior who has won against all odds
“I have been labelled mongol, I have been called a waste, It was said that i would be sitting in a corner and be drooling, I may never live longer than a few years. I turn 40 in January 2021...I live life on my own terms. Accept me as I am..I do not judge you...you do not have the right to judge me.”
On World Mental Health Day, I have something to share. Today I am considered a warrior, but I also had my share of Mental Health Issues. I have faced the abyss of depression, been a schizophrenic, been on medication and have even had suicidal thoughts. But TIMELY HELP, MEDICATION, AND ABILITY TO ADMIT IT has helped me face this monster. Today if I am here, talking to you, felicitated across the globe and recognized for my talents, it is all because I faced those days of Mental Illness and fought it. If I can, so can you. So I request all my friends - Don’t shy away from admitting mental health Issues. We can face it and win it. But the KEY is to ADMIT IT and LOOK FOR A SOLUTION TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE.
Babli
3 major eye surgeries before she turned 1, multiple surgeries and medical interventions for all her conditions before 5 and yet a dancer, a yoga guru, swimmer and Veda enthusiast by the time she was 25. And did we mention she is a person with Down syndrome? That is why we call this tenacious fighter our true warrior. Presenting Babli Ramachandran…
Babli was born in 1981, a time when any kind of disability was frowned at. She was diagnosed with bilateral cataracts at birth and the doctor wanted to have her operated at the earliest. So in the 6th and 7th week of their lives when babies are still trying to open their eyes, Babli had 2 eye surgeries in quick succession. And then in her 7th month, there was a glaucoma surgery. Another eye surgery took place when she was around 7. All of this she has faced without a hint of distress. Her mother recollects Babli come out smiling after the Glaucoma surgery, a sure sign that she recognized her mother and telling her mother not to worry.
Babli found her muse in dance. Even as a child she loved music and her room will always be filled with songs. She started learning Bharatanatyam when she was 11 and did her Arangetram shortly, much to the delight of her teacher. Her expressions amazed the audience because no one believed that a person with Down syndrome could emote so expressively. With a 3 hour dance performance, she proved that a person with Down syndrome can have good memory and perform flawlessly.
Babli’s spirituality led her interest in Yoga and Chanting. She leads the yoga class at the center and is able to help other persons with Down syndrome also with their asanas.
Her latest triumph was over the Coronavirus – COVID 19. She was her cheerful self throughout the duration of the viral attack. Doctors said that she had a pneumonia patch too. But Babli took the COVID warrior avtar and was able to fight the attack successfully, all with a smile on her face.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And our warrior Babli has proved time and again that nothing can deter her once she puts her mind to it. Not even a globally ravaging virus.
