Madhu Babu and his wife D. Varija were happily settled in the middle east with two beautiful children, son Sreesh and little daughter Varshini. When Varshini turned one, she suddenly contracted a serious fever. At the hospital, the doctor revealed that she might be intellectually disabled too, and advised them to relocate to India so that they can take better care of her. Varija gave up her ambitious career in interior designing and moved back to India, followed by Madhu. For months, they ran from one hospital to another; almost every single day they met one new doctor, leaving no stone unturned to offer her the best treatment. Meanwhile, the ground shattered beneath their feet, when one doctor broke the news that their three-year-old son, Sreesh, has been diagnosed with Mucopolysaccharide (MPS) – a rare genetic disorder that doesn’t allow a lifespan more than 10 years.
Madhu and Varija with their children
‘I cried profusely that day,’ shares Madhu with The Logical Indian, while narrating how this turnaround in their lives prepared them to be standalone crusaders in caring for children with disabilities, and extend a helping hand to other parents in the same situation.
In 2010, the couple set up Parent’s Association for Children with Special Needs (PAC) in Tirupati, which runs the Sreesh Mandiram School for special children and guides the parents with hope, empathy and support.
They cater to differently-abled persons of all ages
Upon returning to India, Madhu approached the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams(TTD), famous for their charitable initiatives, to set up a centre for children with disabilities. However, their repeated appeals fell to deaf ears and prompted the couple to launch their own centre to facilitate parents and children alike. Started with 18 parents once, today the number of families at PAC stands at around 70.
A special education class at the school
The striking feature about Sreesh Mandiram School is that they assure to take care of all special people irrespective of their age. ‘Most other NGOs or special schools would decline to keep children beyond 15 or 16. Little do they realise the plight of the parents who are supposed to look after them lifelong. So at Sreesh Mandiram School, we welcome everyone. We have admittees from 2 years to 38 years,’ Madhu shares proudly, adding that two of their members with Down’s Syndrome have been offered employment at a local firm.
‘Special children cannot survive on their own in this world full of struggles. Without our constant care and supervision, they will succumb to low immunity and inability to express discomfort or sickness. And for us ‘special parents’, it is the commitment of a lifetime,’ expresses Madhu.
Different activities are encouraged among the special children The school has changed lives for the kids as well as the parents
38-year-old Dinesh is one of the students at Sreesh Mandiram School, who finds it very difficult to respond or move on his own. When his father, a renowned doctor, passed away a few years ago, his mother was left helpless until PAC came to her rescue. ‘Today, she is doing a government job, relieved to leave her son in our care for the daytime,’ Madhu shares.
Indifference and apathy from parents made life difficult for 8-year-old Sarika with severe disabilities. Two well-wishers got her admitted to this school and now at thirteen, she is a happy, smiling kid who has learnt to react, speak and even walk.
The school has brought smiles to many ‘special’ mothers
A typical day at Sreesh Mandiram begins with parents from in and around Tirupati dropping their children at the school building. Some parents stay behind while others head for their workplaces assured that their little ones are in good hands. Following physiotherapy and special education classes, the kids are taught to eat their lunch independently. ‘ISKCON has volunteered to provide lunch for some underprivileged children who are also part of our school,’ informs Madhu.
Music therapy, counselling sessions are also encouraged along with their most notable initiative – ‘Win Five Hearts’ – where students from local schools and colleges drop in during special occasions to befriend, interact and celebrate with these special kids. ‘We are fostering social inclusion of differently-abled children in this way,’ he continues, ‘These children would otherwise be restricted to the four walls of the home. Here a fresh change in the environment and mingling with other kids are making them more responsive, self-reliant and happy.’
A cycle rally for the differently-abled children They lost their son in 2015 Though PAC has applied for government funding, till now the school is funded entirely by Madhu, his friends and voluntary contributions from the member parents. Madhu has recently left his highly-paying job to devote his attention completely towards PAC. Yet, the financial burd…
