THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!

When she discovered that her daughter had Down syndrome, Pooja Khanna struggled to accept Norah in her own world. But it was only a matter of time. A gradual shift in perspective showed her how to ‘celebrate the differences’.

- KRISELLE FONSECA

I remember coming across an Instagram profile called @pooja_and_norah during one of my endless scrolling sprees. The bio said, “We are celebrating the differences and changing the narrative”—the profile is proof of that. Thirty-six-year-old Pooja is a former interior designer by profession, and her chronicles of life with her two-year-old daughter Norah have made her a known face in the social media circuit.

But that’s not what stands out. Li’l Norah is special. Her challenges are her strength. Her smile will tug at your heartstrings, and her limitations are anything but a setback. Mum Pooja is a staunch special-needs advocate, and her campaigns—which have seen participation from a number of big B-town celebs—continue to successfully de-stigmatise the norm around children with Down syndrome. This little girl was breaking stereotypes at just two years old!

I’ve always hoped for a chance to be able to tell their story someday, and thankfully, it wasn’t long before it happened. The lockdown may have dealt me with challenges in our interaction, I would have obviously loved to meet li’l Norah and her firecracker of a mum! But even then, Pooja does not hold back in our telephonic conversation. She is brave, fearless, resilient, and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Hear her story in her own words...