Book shows world in the eyes of a boy with cerebral palsy

Sharjah - The book My World is Ayyappan's observations of life and nature.

When Medhaj Krishna observed a butterfly for the first time at age four, he tugged on his mother's clothes and stated that he was inspired and wanted to write about it. His mother Reshmi Pradeep took a pen and paper and wrote down the lines in Malayalam, loosely translated: 'Butterfly, butterfly, where are you headed on this journey".
A native of Adoor in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, India, Medhaj, now a 14-year-old, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, and still undergoes speech and occupational therapy. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood.
However, that didn't stop him from writing two books of poetry. Medhaj, who also goes by the pen name Adoor Ayyappan, is releasing his second book Ente Lokam (My World) at the Sharjah International Book Fair on November 10. The book has been published by Lipi Publications and the release will be organised by UAE-based social organisation 'Team India Special Smiles'.
The book My World is Ayyappan's observations of life and nature. However, he strongly believes that all determined children must be part of mainstream society. His father Pradeep Kumar, a resident of Abu Dhabi and employee of Emirates Post, said: "I named him Ayyappan because I learned that my wife is pregnant when I was at Sabarimala, the home of Indian deity Ayyappan. It's now his pen name," he said.
"I feel determined children are extremely talented and their talents cannot be ignored because they are disabled. Ayyappan began writing poetry and short articles after encouragement from his teachers. A lot of his written work is about his observations of things in nature, and inclusivity of all children," he said. 
Hari Adithanalloor, the organiser of the event said: "As an organisation, we strongly believe that determined children deserve to be part of mainstream society." Medhaj is now an eighth-grade student of Raja Keshavan Das NSS Higher Secondary School, Shastamanagalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and will be arriving in Sharjah ahead of the book release.
Speaking to Khaleej Times ahead of the release, Ayyappan said through his mother that he is blessed and excited to be part of the Sharjah International Book Fair. Reshmi is a special needs educator in Ayyappan's school. "Ayyappan is very excited and has bought new clothes and shoes to be part of the release. He feels unique and fortunate to be part of the fair. He wants more people to realise that all children can succeed or express themselves," she said. His parents state that he was a topper in his class last year.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
 

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