Chiraag Krishnan
2023 Sandra Sagear Wall of Courage Honoree
Chiraag was born as a full-term baby; he met all his milestones. However, when he turned 4 years old, we (his parents) noticed something was off. Visits to the pediatrician yielded no answers. By age 6 when he joined Kindergarten at Dodson Elementary, he lost his ability to speak and resorted to grunts for communicating and would cry incessantly. After struggling to get answers, and visiting several
doctors and specialists, Chiraag was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, speech and cognitive impairment in 2007. We were devastated to hear that he may never regain his cognitive functions. A doctor stated “likely a vegetable for life”.
The school initiated an IEP for him in K-1st grade and assigned him a full-time para-professional because of his inability to communicate. As parents, we were not ready to give up on him. We found every accommodation for him in school, worked through daily speech and occupational therapy. We made numerous financial and career sacrifices. The daily therapy session took a toll on Chiraag. At times he would cry for 6-8 hours non-stop till he passed out due to exhaustion, due to his inability to express himself. He had wonderful, dedicated teachers in elementary school, and improved in being able to speak in small sentences, but his cognitive progress was minimal. A child who could count from 1-100 easily by the time he was 2, could not understand 1+1 = 2 in third grade. The doctors put him on every medication they could to see if anything would help with cognitive functions. Many medications had bad side effects which undid any progress.
In 2012 we followed a program for gut health reorg which required the entire family to make lifestyle changes and give up on eating dairy, gluten, soy and several other foods. This included Chiraag’s younger brother, Anirudh (Ani) who was just 5 at the time. Chiraag (and his little brother) never complained about having to give up pizza, cookies and ice cream at an age when kids love those foods. With relentless therapy at school and home, Chiraag regained some of his cognitive functions and ability to speak properly again in late elementary school. At Liberty Middle school he made slow and steady gains in understanding math and science, although abstract thinking for English was beyond his abilities.
A math problem that would take a student 5 mins to solve typically took 50 mins+ to understand. But Chiraag never gave up. Even through tears he would say “I want to do it. I want to learn”.
He made steady progress till his freshman year in high school, when he was struck suddenly with massive grand mal seizures. The next 4 years were a nightmare of calls from P-CEP of sudden seizures resulting in head injury. We spent a lot of time in ambulances and hospital ER’s. As immigrant parents from India, we had no family for any support. The mental and physical toll Chiraag’s health took on the
family cannot be quantified. Yet, after every seizure, even when strapped up to tubes and machines, Chiraag would insist on going back to school the next day because he did not want to miss learning. His father stayed awake late every night and simplified all his lessons and taught him all the subjects. He continued to have an IEP from K-12 and a full-time paraprofessional.
Against all odds, Chiraag graduated high school in 2020 with a diploma. A child who could not fathom 1+1 = 2, was able to successfully pass a written exam in Algebra 2! That was only possible through repeated and relentless effort on his part. Although the pandemic prevented him from having a traditional graduation ceremony, his graduation was one of the proudest moments of our lives.
Subsequent to his graduation, Chiraag has enrolled in Washtenaw Community College to explore future career options. In the meantime, he learnt how to drive a car, and after being seizure free for the required period, earned his driver’s license. At this time, Chiraag works a late evening shift at Home
Depot 2-3 nights each week and has held his job for more than a year. He is liked by all employees and customers who interact with him.
In 2020, his younger brother, Anirudh (a junior at Plymouth High School at this time), at just 14 started a non-profit organization called “AK Friendship Circle” (Always choose Kindness) which provides mentorship and friendship to disabled, differently abled and neurodiverse youngsters 11 years and older. He has held zoom meetings for them every week come rain or shine and also organized many get togethers for the group at bowling alley, zap zone, corn maze etc., often paying for the outings with his pocket money. The group has grown today to have numerous members and participants. Chiraag is part of the group and does his best to engage and interact with those who have challenges greater than his. He tries to encourage them with his positivity.
Chiraag’s life is a story of perseverance and a never-say-die attitude. You keep trying until you succeed. The challenges he has faced from when he was 4 would bring any adult to their knees, but Chiraag has doggedly and determinedly ploughed forward. He proved everyone, including the doctor who wrote him
off, wrong, and is truly worthy of this recognition.
Submitted by Vidya Krishnan, Chiraag’s mother