The story of Nisha

Nisha was born with ichthyosis, a rare genetic skin condition. Probably for this reason, she was abandoned at birth and spent the first three weeks of her life in an orphanage

On October 11, the world celebrated International Day of the Girl Child in different ways. For me, the most moving of them all was the Vicks Touch of Care film on Bengaluru-based Nisha and her parents, David and Aloma Lobo, which crossed 2.5 million views within 20 hours of its launch. 

Nisha is a happy 18-year-old who loves to dress up in Indian clothes, read books and dreams of becoming a teacher someday. Nisha was also born with ichthyosis, a rare genetic skin condition. Probably for this reason, she was abandoned at birth and spent the first three weeks of her life in an orphanage. “We have seen that the majority of the children with special needs who have been abandoned by their parents, are girls,” says David Lobo. “Perhaps parents think that they’ll be more of a liability than boys,” he adds. When the couple saw Nisha for the first time, the baby was in terrible shape. “Our daughter simply picked Nisha up and asked us to take her home,” says Aloma Lobo. And that’s what they did. 

However, the family did much more than adopt an infant with special needs. They simply treated her like everyone else. “With five siblings around, she’s never had the time to be sorry for herself,” laughed her mother. Consequently, the girl has been able to deal with the oft-difficult circumstances resulting from her condition, with immense dignity. “Once, on a flight, a passenger saw Nisha and refused to be on the same plane as her,” recounted Aloma. As a mother, she was naturally upset. “To my surprise, Nisha comforted me,” she recalls. 

At school, a couple of children were scared of Nisha. “Days later, I found her reading a book aloud to them,” she said. Similarly, when a family seemed uncomfortable around Nisha at church, she didn’t mind at all. “Instead, she smiled and waved at their two toddlers until one fine morning, we found the children sitting on her lap during service,” says Aloma. 

Thanks to the support of her family, Nisha has been able to overcome obstacles that would have stumped most people. She has no sweat glands and can’t play sport. However, she doesn’t miss a chance to watch her friends play. She is visually-impaired but has always refused a writer during exams, and holds the paper seven inches away from her eyes to read and write. People stare at her wherever she goes because she looks different, but it doesn’t bother her at all. She speaks seven languages, loves psychology and history, and writes well. In the movie (available on youtube), Nisha says that one in a million people have her condition, but her mom is really the “one in a million” for looking after her so well.

“When we brought Nisha home, it really didn’t matter to us whether she was a girl or boy,” says David. “To us she was just a child who needed our love,” he adds. Listening to them, I realised something. Campaigns that incentivise parents to look after the welfare of their daughters are somehow missing the point. All we as a society need to do is love our daughters just like the Lobos have loved theirs, and not just on the International Day of the Girl Child — but every day of their lives. That’s how transformations happen.