Latheesha Ansari came to limelight when she appeared for the Civil Services examination with an oxygen cylinder to support her breathing.
Latheesha Ansari was unafraid to face any challenge. Her health issues, which she has had since birth, haven’t stopped her from aiming higher and pursuing her dreams. The 28-year-old succumbed to her illnesses early on Wednesday, leaving behind a message of hope in her paintings and music.
Ms. Ansari, a resident of Kottayam’s Erumeli, was born with Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). As a result, she was confined to a wheelchair. Her condition, however, had not prevented her from continuing her education. She refused to attend a special school and instead completed her MCom at a regular school. When she was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2018, she had planned to sit for the Civil Services examination in 2018. She has spent the majority of her days since then at home, requiring oxygen support at all times.
She first made headlines in 2019 when she showed up for the Civil Services exam with an oxygen cylinder to help her breathe. The Hindu reported five days before the exam that she needed a portable oxygen concentrator because carrying the bulky oxygen cylinder to the exam hall was difficult. Following the report, the then-Kottayam District Collector intervened to arrange for her to have a portable oxygen concentrator when she arrived in Thiruvananthapuram for the examination. She received her portable concentrator just in time for her second exam.
Despite the fact that her attempt at Civil Services was unsuccessful, she was able to secure a job at the Erumeli co-operative bank, which she had to leave due to breathing problems. Despite her brittle bone disease, she was able to master the keyboard and make frequent appearances on music shows on television. Another of her skills was making glass paintings. She used to give these paintings as gifts to other musicians she met on TV shows. She has been frequently posting videos on her YouTube page titled “Latheesha’s Happiness” for the past year.
