Karishma, 29, has a condition called Down’s Syndrome. 

When I was introduced to Karishma, I was moved by the paintings (150 of her paintings have been sold for $75,000 and all proceeds have gone to charities) which her mother Kalpana, showed me. When I met Karishma and witnessed the exuberance she brought to life, I was wonderstruck. We all suffer from a major condition – that of worry and anxiety. This condition takes over our abilities so many times, causing myriad problems. Karishma is blessed to not possess this and live in the here & now, in spite of the physical and intellectual challenges which Down’s syndrome brings.

It is paradoxical that being fully abled most of us limit ourselves whereas Karishma has taken herself to peak of her being. Her parents and sister and some other divine beings have embraced her to make her feel included without any conditions, bias or difference of treatment. What they have got in return from Karishma is much grander – to learn to live in here & now.

Watch (unless you watch Karishma, you won’t feel included) this conversation to appreciate sacrifice, empathy, adaptability, inclusion and more than anything here & now.


Karishma's adaptability from Karishma Kannan

Karishma's adaptability
from Karishma Kannan