Sharanya Manoharan is a 15-year-old schoolgirl who is an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer and a keyboard player. Does this sound like an average neighbourhood child? The answer is a resounding no as there is a key difference. Sharanya lost her sense of hearing when she was just 11 months old!

Sharanya’s world was in turmoil when she contracted meningitis. She recovered from the infection but her mother knew that something was amiss. Sharanya would not respond to her mother’s voice. A test of her hearing confirmed her mother’s worst fears.

The hearing loss took a toll on her bond with her mother. The distance between the two grew by the day. Finally, at the age of 3, Sharanya was implanted with a cochlear implant by Dr. Kirtane at Hinduja hospital.

The cochlear implant unleashed Sharanya’s talents in academics and in performing arts. She started mainstream school in standard 4 and immediately demonstrated her intelligence by securing a merit scholarship. She also started to learn Bharatnatyam and to play the keyboard.

Sharanya has not looked back ever since. Her strong will power and the unfailing family support helped her secure another merit scholarship in standard 7. She has completed advanced levels of training in Bharatnatyam and has cleared Grade 2 exam for playing the keyboard from the Trinity College, London.