When her parents named her Karishma (meaning miracle in Sanskrit), theyhad no idea how prescient their action would turn out to be.
Karishma, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome just months after herbirth, has not just lived up to her name, but delivered miracles ofsorts to several others.
The beneficiaries havebeen children and youth in disadvantaged situations in Vietnam, whereshe has lived for the last five years after coming here with her parentsfrom India.
Over the last three years, 22-year-oldKarishma has become an artist whose paintings have been sold almostinstantaneously every time she has held an exhibition – each time toraise funds for helping others.
The latest event atthe Sheraton Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, saw all 31 paintings on displaysold even before the event began, leaving several attendees ruing thefact that they could not get their hands on one.
Sofar, over the last three years, the alternatively shy and bold artisthas raised 37,500 USD for charitable purposes in Vietnam. She has beenable to fund heart and spine surgeries for needy youth and children inHo Chi Minh City and the central region.
The event,called "Karishma – Colors of Love", raised roughly 230 million VND(11,000 USD) that was entirely donated to the Ho Chi Minh City and QuangNam sponsoring associations for orphans and the disabled.
Karishma's happiness with what she is doing was obvious. She huggedand kissed every body, and danced gracefully as Vietnam's topsaxophonist Tran Manh Tuan, played a tribute along with his youngdaughter.
"Life is beautiful," said one person as he watched the performance, and others nearby nodded agreement.
Deepak Mittal, the Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City, said:"It is hard to imagine that these works are a creation of someone whohas faced tough challenges in life and started to discover this hiddentalent only few years ago."
He hailed Karishma'sartistry and generous heart saying she was an outstanding ambassador forher country, "bringing out the warmth and deep friendship between thepeople of Vietnam and India."
One of severalpoignant moments at the exhibition was the presence of 28-year-old LyThi Ngoc Lan, who sat on a wheelchair and watched the proceedings. WithKarishma's help, she had been able to survive a serious backboneproblem.
"I come here to see Karishma's paintings. Ifeel very happy to seeing her art works. I see generosity in each ofher paintings," Lan said.
Karishma's ability and talent was found accidentally by a foreign art teacher.
In 2008, soon after arriving in Vietnam, Karishma was sent to the GiaDinh School for Children with Special Needs in Binh Thanh district. Shehad to quit the school three months later because of communicationproblems.
Her parents' efforts to keep the daughterengaged led to a chance meeting with art teacher Cyndy Beaumont whoagreed to help Karishma despite having no previous experience ofteaching children with special needs.
Karishmaembarked on a miraculous journey as Beaumont worked with her, learningdifferent painting and colouring techniques and understanding the worksof famous painters.
Her parents, Kalpana andHariharan Kannan, were moved and amazed to see their daughter blossomovernight from a restless child to one focusing intently on creating onepainting after another, inspired by everything she saw around her.
To take the work of their daughter a step further, the parents havelaunched an official website at www.karishmakannan.com to share theirexperiences of taking care a daughter with special needs, and to showothers the potential that is there in everyone.
Karishma and her parents have a simple, direct message to impart, whichthey chose as the title for the previous exhibition of her works: "Youcan, I can, we can.".-VNA
Karishma, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome just months after herbirth, has not just lived up to her name, but delivered miracles ofsorts to several others.
The beneficiaries havebeen children and youth in disadvantaged situations in Vietnam, whereshe has lived for the last five years after coming here with her parentsfrom India.
Over the last three years, 22-year-oldKarishma has become an artist whose paintings have been sold almostinstantaneously every time she has held an exhibition – each time toraise funds for helping others.
The latest event atthe Sheraton Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, saw all 31 paintings on displaysold even before the event began, leaving several attendees ruing thefact that they could not get their hands on one.
Sofar, over the last three years, the alternatively shy and bold artisthas raised 37,500 USD for charitable purposes in Vietnam. She has beenable to fund heart and spine surgeries for needy youth and children inHo Chi Minh City and the central region.
The event,called "Karishma – Colors of Love", raised roughly 230 million VND(11,000 USD) that was entirely donated to the Ho Chi Minh City and QuangNam sponsoring associations for orphans and the disabled.
Karishma's happiness with what she is doing was obvious. She huggedand kissed every body, and danced gracefully as Vietnam's topsaxophonist Tran Manh Tuan, played a tribute along with his youngdaughter.
"Life is beautiful," said one person as he watched the performance, and others nearby nodded agreement.
Deepak Mittal, the Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City, said:"It is hard to imagine that these works are a creation of someone whohas faced tough challenges in life and started to discover this hiddentalent only few years ago."
He hailed Karishma'sartistry and generous heart saying she was an outstanding ambassador forher country, "bringing out the warmth and deep friendship between thepeople of Vietnam and India."
One of severalpoignant moments at the exhibition was the presence of 28-year-old LyThi Ngoc Lan, who sat on a wheelchair and watched the proceedings. WithKarishma's help, she had been able to survive a serious backboneproblem.
"I come here to see Karishma's paintings. Ifeel very happy to seeing her art works. I see generosity in each ofher paintings," Lan said.
Karishma's ability and talent was found accidentally by a foreign art teacher.
In 2008, soon after arriving in Vietnam, Karishma was sent to the GiaDinh School for Children with Special Needs in Binh Thanh district. Shehad to quit the school three months later because of communicationproblems.
Her parents' efforts to keep the daughterengaged led to a chance meeting with art teacher Cyndy Beaumont whoagreed to help Karishma despite having no previous experience ofteaching children with special needs.
Karishmaembarked on a miraculous journey as Beaumont worked with her, learningdifferent painting and colouring techniques and understanding the worksof famous painters.
Her parents, Kalpana andHariharan Kannan, were moved and amazed to see their daughter blossomovernight from a restless child to one focusing intently on creating onepainting after another, inspired by everything she saw around her.
To take the work of their daughter a step further, the parents havelaunched an official website at www.karishmakannan.com to share theirexperiences of taking care a daughter with special needs, and to showothers the potential that is there in everyone.
Karishma and her parents have a simple, direct message to impart, whichthey chose as the title for the previous exhibition of her works: "Youcan, I can, we can.".-VNA
