18-yr-old with multiple disabilities turns playback singer

Currently pursuing BA in music, she also teaches children to play the violin. She recently recorded a track for music composer GV Prakash for his upcoming album Adangathey, becoming one of the very few singers with multiple disabilities to foray into Kollywood playback music.

Her mother, 45-year-old Kalaichelvi says, this did not come easy. Jyothi was not a child prodigy, we both worked hard to bring her to where she is, she says. “My daughter’s blindness made every task challenging, and just two days after birth, a hole was diagnosed in her intestine. We fought many odds during the first two-three years because she developed sleeping disorders too,” says the single parent. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) also diagnosed the child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and she had traces of autism, because of which her areas of conversation are limited.

“I didn’t even know if she would live at that point but now, to some extent, Jyothi understands the world better and I try to keep her productively occupied. She is learning to use the computer and can type 40 words in a minute,” says the proud mother. When she enrolled the girl in music classes, it further boosted her confidence — it created a happy environment for her.

Jyothi went on to complete a three-year diploma in music and stood class first. Now, she teaches others. Kalachelvi says, “Her first student was a sister from a convent in Sri Lanka and she was very happy to learn from my daughter. She also goes to the home of another family, where she teaches two batches of 10 kids each how to play the violin.”