“You haven’t started Avaz for Krishna yet? How will he communicate?”
“You are still carrying Krishna on your back? How will he become independent?”
“You don’t enforce eating at the dining table? How will he develop habits?”
Over the years, this has been the refrain of well-meaning therapists and parents.
At the other end of the advice spectrum:
“Forget it. Krishna cannot learn much more.”
“He has Intellectual Disability. Don’t expect much.”
“His eating habits are disgusting! Even your maids will not stay and help.”
While all this was being said, Krishna was enduring hospitals, pain, procedures, fear… and regressions.
2019: He yanked out his cannula so hard that blood fountained and painted the horrified nurse’s desk.
2020: During a 5-day admission, we traveled 40 km home every night — just so Krishna could sleep peacefully.
2024 and 2025 brought fresh trauma, painful procedures, and exhaustion that sank into our bones.
And yet…
Love, effort, and Intentionality were silently at work.
Tiny daily repetitions. Trust-building. Meeting Krishna where he is, while gently stretching where he can go.
April 21, 2026.
Again, Krishna was hospitalized for a procedure under general anesthesia.
He calmly entered ER.
Waited patiently for hours.
Giggled and ran about when the ward was quiet.
Curled silently into a ball when sensory overload hit.
Merrily walked off with the nurses — leaving me behind — to be cannulized.
Fasted for almost 24 hours.
Waited till nearly midnight for discharge.
And when his father finally returned, discharge complete, Krishna leapt onto my back as if to say:
“All done. Let’s go home.”
We stood there, astonished.
Perhaps Krishna — the boy who apparently cannot learn — would say, if he could:
“I choose joy.
I choose to learn, even when my body betrays me.
I love new experiences, especially when I’m not in pain.
I can bear discomfort, sleeplessness, hunger… if you help me understand.
I am learning all I can, despite losing so much to regressions.
I know what a hospital is now.
I know the nurses will bring me back.
And I know that you will be there for me.
Always.”
