Raising Rainbows: Different, But Not Less

What happens when you stop seeing a child through the lens of a diagnosis and start seeing the child for everything they are?

For Anant’s parents, that shift has been at the heart of their journey. Anant is eight, joyful, creative, and curious. He loves painting with bright colours, playing with toy cars, watching and playing cricket, listening to guitar music, travelling, baking with his mother, and connecting with the people around him. His artwork has become one of the ways he expresses what words sometimes cannot. And, like every child, he lights up when he feels included, valued, and loved.

But their journey has also brought them face to face with the fears that can accompany a diagnosis: uncertainty about the future, questions about education and independence, the search for the right therapies and support, and the painful reality of exclusion.

Over time, fear gave way to acceptance, hope, and a determination to focus on what Anant can do rather than what others assume he cannot. His parents say he has taught their family that progress isn’t always about speed; sometimes it is about courage, persistence, and the heart with which a child meets every challenge.

Their story is also a reminder that inclusion is much more than allowing a child to be present. It is about being welcomed into the game, the classroom, the birthday party, and the community, as an equal participant and a friend.

For Raising Rainbows, this is what matters: moving beyond labels and listening to the families who live the reality every day.

This is Anant Agarwal’s story, and his parents’ story—not of limitations, but of possibilities—told by his mother, Suruchi Agrawal.

Ancy: Tell us about your child beyond the diagnosis. What makes him laugh, light up or feel happiest?

Suruchi: Anant is a joyful and wonderful eight-year-old boy who is not defined by any diagnosis. He is a young artist, an enthusiastic traveller, and a true nature lover who brings warmth wherever he goes.

He finds happiness in the simple things he loves: painting with bright colours, playing with his toy cars, watching and playing cricket, and listening to guitar music. He also loves baking delicious treats with his mother. He has a playful spirit and enjoys initiating conversations and joyfully imitating the people around him.

His happiest moments are when he is surrounded by family, attending interactive workshops, or when people genuinely appreciate his artwork. He lights up when he feels included, valued, and loved.

Ancy: What is something people misunderstand most about children with Down syndrome?

Suruchi: People often underestimate what these children are truly capable of. There is a common assumption that because a child has Down syndrome, they cannot learn, create, work, or contribute meaningfully to the community. The truth is that, with the right opportunities, consistent encouragement, and genuine acceptance, they have immense potential to grow, learn, and succeed in their own unique way.

Ancy: What moment with your child changed your understanding of love, patience or humanity?

Suruchi: Watching Anant work hard to overcome everyday challenges—things most people take for granted—has completely changed our perspective on patience and resilience.

Every small milestone comes through his determination and steady effort. He has taught our entire family that progress should not necessarily be measured by speed, but by the courage, heart, and effort a child puts into everything they do.

Ancy: What are your child’s biggest strengths that the world often overlooks?

Suruchi: The world can focus so much on the difficulties that it misses his greatest strengths: his incredible creativity, kindness, determination, and natural ability to connect with people.

Through his paintings, Anant communicates emotions and perspectives that words cannot always express. He has a beautiful way of seeing the world and finding joy in things others might rush past, from baking with his mother and playing cricket to his toy cars and the sound of a guitar.

Ancy: What does a “good day” look like in your home?

Suruchi: A good day is a peaceful and productive one. It is a day when Anant gets to create art, learn something new, bake in the kitchen, play happily with his family, and end the day feeling safe, happy, and proud of what he has accomplished.

Ancy: What emotions did you experience when you first received the diagnosis?

Suruchi: Like most parents, our initial reaction was filled with fear, uncertainty, and deep sadness. We worried constantly about his future and wondered whether we would be strong enough or capable enough to support him in the way he deserved.

Over time, however, those feelings transformed into hope, acceptance, and a fierce determination to give him the best life possible.

Ancy: What helped you cope during the hardest seasons?

Suruchi: We learned to focus on Anant’s strengths and celebrate every small victory along the way. Connecting with other supportive families who understood our journey gave us great comfort. Most importantly, we made a firm decision that we would never allow a medical label to define our son’s future.

Ancy: What kind of support do you wish had existed for parents earlier?

Suruchi: When you first receive the news, you can feel completely overwhelmed. I wish there had been clearer guidance and a practical roadmap from the very beginning: better access to early therapies, schools that genuinely welcome children with special needs, and strong parental support networks. More than medical information, new parents need comfort, reassurance, and genuine hope for the future.

Ancy: How has parenting your child changed you as a person?

Suruchi: Raising Anant has made me a more patient, empathetic, and resilient human being. He has taught me to let go of rigid societal expectations, appreciate steady progress rather than perfection, and value people for who they are on the inside.

Ancy: What sacrifices do families like yours quietly make that people rarely see?

Suruchi: There are many quiet sacrifices that happen behind closed doors. Families face unexpected financial pressures, career adjustments, calendars filled with appointments, and the emotional weight of constantly planning for a child’s long-term future. These adjustments are made quietly and willingly, out of deep love for our children.

Ancy: What are the biggest day-to-day challenges your family faces?

Suruchi: Our daily challenges go beyond balancing school, therapies, and life skills. One of the most difficult aspects is ensuring that Anant feels genuinely included in social activities. It can be heartbreaking when children are not invited to birthday parties, playdates, or group activities. Every child deserves friendship, acceptance, and a sense of belonging.

Another challenge is finding opportunities that nurture his interests and talents. Anant loves dancing and is interested in learning musical instruments such as guitar and keyboard. But finding instructors willing to adapt their teaching methods to his pace of learning can be difficult. We believe that with patience, encouragement, and the right support, he can learn and enjoy these activities just like any other child.

We are constantly trying to balance his education with practical life skills, helping him become more independent, ensuring social inclusion, and planning for a secure future where he can continue to thrive.

Ancy: How do you balance therapies, school, work, marriage, siblings and your own mental health?

Suruchi: There is no perfect formula for balance. Some days are smooth and other days are exhausting. We simply try to take things one day at a time, prioritise what is most important, and support one another as a family. Our shared love and commitment to Anant keep us moving forward.

Ancy: What practical routines, tools or habits genuinely help your child thrive?

Suruchi: Consistency and a structured daily routine are incredibly helpful for Anant. Regular encouragement, using art as a way for him to express his feelings, travelling to new places, and interacting with different people have all helped him grow. Giving him space to play with his toy cars, enjoy cricket, bake with his family, and explore music also helps keep him motivated and happy.

Ancy: What has inclusion looked like in schools, playgrounds, birthday parties or public spaces?

Suruchi: We have experienced both sides: heartwarming acceptance and painful exclusion. True inclusion is not simply making an exception for Anant or tolerating his presence in a room. It happens when people genuinely welcome him into a game, a classroom, or a gathering, as an equal participant and a friend.

Ancy: What changes in public infrastructure or services would make daily life easier?

Suruchi: Our society needs to become much more accessible. We need schools that are genuinely equipped to support special education, accessible public spaces, proper vocational training centres, and real employment opportunities where individuals can work with dignity as they grow older.

Ancy: What laws, policies or systems do you wish more people understood or fought for?

Suruchi: I wish there were stronger advocacy for inclusive education and equal employment rights. We also need reliable healthcare systems and long-term adult support services, so parents can have peace of mind knowing that their children will be safe and supported as they grow into adulthood.

Ancy: What does “equal rights” truly mean for your child?

Suruchi: For Anant, equal rights mean having the same opportunities as any other child: to learn, to work, to share his artistic talents, to receive proper healthcare, and to build friendships without being judged or limited by his diagnosis.

Ancy: If you could speak directly to policymakers, educators or society in one room, what would you say?

Suruchi: Stop looking only at a child’s limitations and start investing in their possibilities. We must build educational and social systems that promote independence and dignity. Every individual, no matter how they are born, deserves the opportunity to belong and contribute to the world.

Ancy: What dreams do you have for your child’s future?

Suruchi: Our highest hope is for Anant to live a happy, secure, and independent life. We want him to continue painting, sharing his art with the world, making meaningful friendships, and being recognised and respected for his wonderful talents and personality rather than his diagnosis.

Ancy: What message would you give another parent who has just started this journey and feels afraid?

Suruchi: Take a deep breath and take it one day at a time. Your child is a beautiful individual, not a medical report. Celebrate every achievement, no matter how small it may seem to others. Believe in your child’s abilities, because your faith can give them strength. The journey ahead may be different from what you imagined, but it can also be incredibly fulfilling and beautiful.

Ancy: What do you wish the world would stop assuming about your child?

Suruchi: I wish the world would stop assuming that a medical label defines a child’s entire life or places a ceiling on what they can achieve. Anant’s personality, artistic talent, dreams, and achievements are much larger and more meaningful than any label.

Ancy: What kind of world are you trying to help build for your child?

Suruchi: I am trying to help build a world where differences are naturally respected, opportunities are accessible to everyone, and every child is valued for who they are. I want a society where Anant and others like him can dream without boundaries, live with complete dignity, and feel fully accepted.

About the Author:
Ancy James

Ancy James is a journalist, feature writer and storyteller whose work has, over the years, explored health, wellness, parenting, midlife, resilience and the many ways ordinary people navigate extraordinary circumstances.

Through Raising Rainbows, she turns the microphone towards parents raising children who experience the world differently, creating space for their fears, hopes, struggles, victories and dreams to be heard beyond a diagnosis or label.

She writes this series because every child deserves to be seen first for who they are, and every parent deserves to know they are not alone.

For Ancy, Raising Rainbows is about honest conversations that can replace assumptions with understanding, sympathy with respect, and labels with stories.