Raised by resolve: A mother, friend, and life with cerebral palsy

By Ashwin Karthik

I was born in 1984 in Bangalore with quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy (CP), a condition that shaped every aspect of my childhood, education, and career. The lack of oxygen at birth affected all four limbs and my speech. However, I never allowed it to touch my curiosity, my hunger to learn, or my belief that life had something meaningful in store for me.

When I look back, what I see is not a dramatic story but a long chain: the right people, the right systems, the right interventions, and the right opportunities arriving at the right moments.

The first battle began when I was around nine months old. My mother was convinced my developmental milestones were delayed, despite denials by the numerous doctors and specialists she consulted. Finally, they referred her to a neuro-phy