Hyderabad (Telangana): "A bend in the road is not the end of the road. Unless you fail to make the turn." Proving this quote of Helen Keller, 27-years- old singer Benzy Kumar, fought against all odds to prevent autism from turning out to be a disability. Soon after Benzy was born, her parents realised that she was not as responsive as a normal infant. They strove hard to turn Benzy into what she is today - a classical singer.
When Benzy's birth disability was revealed, her parents were devastated and soon they recovered and did a lot of research to find out exactly what was wrong with their child. Recalling the struggles she faced to understand the medical condition of her child, Benzy’s mother, Kavita Kumar said, "When Benzy was born, autism was not a well-known disorder in India. We did not know much about it. All we knew as that our daughter was not normal. Many people including our relatives advised us to get rid of this unnecessary burden."
Kavita said that to know more about Benzy's disorder, they took her to America where the doctors examined her and gave hope that the symptoms can be reduced with treatment. Kavita noticed that Benzy was positively responding to music. Since then, music has become a very significant part of Benzy’s life. Kavita decided to train Benzy in Indian classical music when she was 5 years old. After two years of training, Benzy gave her first stage show performance. At the mere age of nine, Benzy released her first audio cassette titled 'Basic Raagas'.
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Benzy’s talent has been appreciated by famous artists like Shubha Mudgal, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Alka Yagnik, Adnan Sami, and many more. Even though Benzy could not speak fluently, she has developed the talent of singing flawlessly. Benzy has also won three national awards. "However, more than medals and awards, Benzy feels happier when she gets applause", says Kavita.
Kavita founded 'Dhoon Foundation' in 2007 after she witnessed the healing power of music on Benzy. She decided to help other children from impoverished backgrounds with similar challenges through music therapy. Benzy also takes music lessons whenever she has time. Throughout her journey, the determination and unconditional love of her parents gave Benzy the support she needed to become independent and make a name for herself.
Autism is a developmental disorder that results in deficits in communication and social skills, which can be corrected through proper treatment.
