Dear SpecialSaathi community,
Today, we come together to honor the memory of a remarkable individual who touched countless lives in numerous ways. It is with heavy hearts, but also a deep sense of gratitude, that we dedicate today’s blog to the late Sriram Narayan Managing Trustee, The Amaze CharitableTrust, Coimbatore, India.
Through this heartfelt tribute, we wish to celebrate his extraordinary journey and the profound impact he had on countless lives as a fellow parent and an Autism advocate.
Mr. Sriram Narayan was a guiding light and an embodiment of compassion and resilience. His unwavering dedication to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for children with special needs has left an indelible mark on the entire community. His exceptional empathy and tireless efforts touched the lives of countless families, providing solace, guidance, and hope in times of uncertainty.
In his role as a parent, Sriram demonstrated unwavering love, strength, and resilience, navigating the challenges that come with raising a child with special needs. His personal experiences and the insights he shared became a source of inspiration for many others who faced similar journeys. Sriram’s words were always imbued with warmth and wisdom, and his presence radiated a rare kind of empathy that made us feel seen and understood.
As a torch bearer in providing advanced level vocational trainings and courses to special needs young adults and individuals in India and leading the way through The Amaze Trust, Sriram contributed immensely to the mission of fostering inclusivity and empowering families. His expertise in advocating for the rights of individuals with special needs was unparalleled, and he played a pivotal role in developing our educational resources and support programs. Sriram’s passion for creating a world where every child thrives resonated deeply with all of us, and his legacy will continue to drive us forward.
Through today’s blog, we aim to pay tribute to Sriram’s remarkable life and share the profound impact he had on our community.
In our collective grief, let us find solace and strength in the knowledge that Sriram’s legacy lives on through the lives he touched, the families he supported, and the positive changes he inspired. Today, we remember him with deep admiration and gratitude, cherishing the memories we shared and vowing to carry his mission forward.
Thank you, Sriram Narayan Sir, for your unwavering dedication, compassion, and love. You will forever remain in our hearts. Prayers and deepest condolences to Akila Vaidyanathan and the entire family.
With love and remembrance,
The SpecialSaathi Team
A tribute by Swaminathan
With deep regret I wish to inform the demise of Sriram (husband of Akila who is a part of this group)
My thoughts which I posted in a couple of groups
Having known Akila and Sriram (albeit virtually in the initial years) am shocked not only for myself but for the huge loss autism fraternity
During 2004-5 or so, when internet was at its infancy in India (and social media unheard of), there were a couple of NRIs (Saji Idiculla and Meena Kalyanasundaram) who were running predominantly Indian autism/intellectual disabilities support groups.
A common name with a lot of sensitive and sensible posts were “Ram and Akila”
It transpired that they were an CA/IT couple with a child with autism who took the reverse immigration route to settle in India and set up something for the Indian autism fraternity
That was the foundation of Amaze.
Many years later, had the good fortune of visiting amaze during a trip to Covai care (founded by Col Sridharan and poineer in retirement communes in India, now embracing disabilities in the commune by assisted living with wonderful synergy between senior citizens and disability kids- i call even the disabilities adults as kids given their purity)
Sriram was one of the brains and part of the think tank for Covai care and will be sorely missed as it is at the nascent blossoming stage presently with parents (me included) deferring the shifting to the commune for various personal reasons
Coming back to Amaze, it is in my book one of the best (if not the best) NGOs in India in this field.
In a country where computer awareness was (and perhaps still is) low, our kids were taught computer skills by experts, with specially designed computer peripherals like customised mouse etc
Apart from the IT part, there was something for everyone in the spectrum with the set up being a beehive of activity with the kids being engaged either in activity or sports with high spirited therapists lead by”Ram and Akila”
The centre was instrumental in at least one kid that I know of being employed now in SAP and living independently apart from hundreds of kids at various levels of progress
Another initiative that the entire fraternity would remember are the adventure camps where our kids (and fellow parents) were emboldened to shed their inhibitions and perform miracles with near military (SSB) type adventures
Rams contribution to the fraternity is to my mind unparalleled. Further while there are very few committed autism NGOs in the country creating a demand supply imbalance, the vernacular ones are even rarer
Thanks Ram and Akila for filling that void as pioneers
I thought of filling in the uninitiated with whatever details I know about this wonderful couple who are and will remain Amazing
Ram, am sure you will continue to guide the autism fraternity from up there.
Om Shanti and praying for strength to the family to bear this unbearable loss
Adi, Seeta and Swaminathan
(Fellow parents for whom Ram and Akila were one of the torch bearers in our autism journey)
One reply on “Eternally in our hearts- Sriram Narayan”
Sad to hear about this big loss to the special needs community and to all his friends. What a bright soul he was in this world! Wish i had known him personally.