No obstacle was big enough for Latheesha Ansari to surmount. Multiple health issues since birth did not stop her from aiming higher and pursuing her dreams. Early on Wednesday, the 28-year-old succumbed to her illnesses, leaving behind a message of hope through her paintings and music.
Ms. Ansari, a resident of Erumeli in Kottayam, was diagnosed with Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) at birth. She was confined to a wheelchair due to this. But the condition had not stopped her from pursuing her education. Refusing to go to a special school, she studied in a regular school and went on to complete her MCom. She had planned to appear for the Civil Services examination in 2018, when she was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. Since then, she has mostly spent her days at home, as oxygen support was needed throughout.
With oxygen cylinder
She had come into the limelight in 2019, when she appeared for the Civil Services examination with an oxygen cylinder to support her breathing. Five days before the examination, The Hindu had reported that she was in need of a portable oxygen concentrator, as it was difficult to haul the bulky oxygen cylinder to the examination hall. Following the report, the then Kottayam District Collector had intervened to arrange a portable oxygen concentrator temporarily for her when she reached Thiruvananthapuram for the examination. She got the portable concentrator in time for her second examination.
YouTube page
Though the attempt at Civil Services was unsuccessful, she secured a job at the Erumeli co-operative bank, but had to discontinue it due to breathing issues. Struggling through the brittle bone disease, she mastered the keyboard and had made frequent appearances in music shows in television channels. Creating glass paintings was another of her talents. She used to gift these paintings to other musicians she met during the television shows. For the past one year, she has been posting videos often on her YouTube page titled ‘Latheesha’s happiness.’
“She had great willpower and a positive frame of mind. Despite her illnesses, she tried for the Civil Services examination, and has been planning to appear for it again,” says Latha Nair, founder of Amrithavarshini Charitable Society for Osteogenisis Imperfecta, of which Ms. Ansari was a member.