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In loving memory of Srinidhi

A child should not have to wait months for a voice.

We close the gaps that families raising children and young adults with complex disabilities fall into. Equipment, travel, crisis, community.

Donate (opens the payment page in a new tab) Read Srinidhi's story
Srinidhi seated in her wheelchair at home, looking directly at the camera
4 Core program pillars Equipment · Getaway · Emergency · Community Weeks Not months, for essential equipment AAC devices and other eligible equipment, paid direct to an approved vendor. 3–4 days A Family Getaway Accessible rooms, travel and transport for one family in our first year. 1 Remarkable girl who inspired it all

Every award is set by documented need, not granted automatically.

Srinidhi and her mother Sumathi sitting together, turned towards each other and laughing

Our story

She was our daughter, but she was also our teacher.

Srinidhi Balaji lived with Rett syndrome. She lost her words at eighteen months. Then, one word at a time, she found a way to write a book.

“See the whole person first. Disability is part of their story, never the definition of who they are.”

A social, happy baby

Born loving music and traveling, developing typically through her early years.

At eighteen months

She stopped walking, lost the use of her hands, and lost words she had already spoken.

A device, a voice

Her AAC device gave her a way to say what she thought, one word at a time.

A published author

One word at a time, using her eye gaze device, Srinidhi brought her book to life in just 18 months.

She loved every moment of her life and gave unconditional love to everyone around her. Srinidhi passed away while she was thriving. She left behind a lesson in resilience and in the importance of believing in what is possible.

Front cover of Extraordinary Wild Adventures by Srinidhi Balaji, with five illustrated friends walking together

Srinidhi's book

Extraordinary Wild Adventures by Srinidhi Balaji.

100% of proceeds from the sale will go to The Srinidhi & Sumathi Foundation.

Find it on Amazon

Her mother, Sumathi

Sumathi spent every day making sure her daughter did not just receive care, but had a life of love, dignity and joy.

Our principles

How we work

Eight principles sit at the centre of every decision we make, and four moments where they change what a childhood contains.

Bridge to communication

A voice, without the wait

Authorization for the device will take months. It arrives in weeks instead.

Family-centered · Child-centered · Timely · Evidence-informed Equitable · Accountable · Practical · Legacy-driven
The Srinidhi & Sumathi Foundation Guided by eight principles
Family-centered Child-centered Timely Evidence-informed Equitable Accountable Practical Legacy-driven

Bridge to an accessible family experience

Family Getaway

Adapted transport and a room that genuinely accommodates a wheelchair.

Bridge through sudden financial crisis

Room to grieve

Income, benefits and critical support can change within weeks, all at once.

Bridge back into community

Nobody stays home this time

A screening with the lights up. A picnic built around wheelchairs.

What we stand for

Rooted in love. Inspired by nature. Sharing hope.

Love

Srinidhi gave unconditional love to everyone around her. Families are met with dignity, and their experience is believed.

Care

Equipment, respite, emergency help. Paid direct, and arranged without adding to what a family is already carrying.

Legacy

Legacy-driven, not legacy-limited. Srinidhi's life started this. The work belongs to every family it reaches.

Hope

Give a child the right tools and the chance to use them, and things become possible that would otherwise have stayed hidden.

Mission

To close the gaps that families raising children with complex disabilities fall into: essential equipment, family respite, emergency assistance and community. So that families feel supported, celebrate their children, and stay connected to each other.

Vision

Families raising children with complex disabilities reaching the tools and support they need, without being left alone between systems. Every child given the chance to communicate, take part, and be celebrated.

What we do

Four programs, and who each one is for

For families raising children and young adults with complex medical, developmental, communication or physical support needs.

A young woman using an eye-gaze communication device mounted beside her chair
Year one flagship

Rapid access to essential equipment

When the need is documented and other routes are too slow, we cover the approved cost and pay the vendor direct.

Who it's forA documented disability or complex medical need, and a documented need for the equipment itself. Some requests need a letter of medical necessity.

AAC & equipment Paid direct
A wheelchair on the sand at the water's edge, with the sea and swimmers behind
Year one pilot · 1 family

Family respite & accessible getaway

One planned 3–4 day trip: accessible lodging, travel for the child and a caregiver, accessible transport. A trip a family arranges itself can also be considered.

Who it's forFamilies for whom an accessible trip is hard to arrange alone.

3–4 days Self-arranged considered
Two pairs of hands resting one on top of the other in support
In development

Emergency family stabilization

When a family loses a child, income, benefits and support can stop overnight. We help with immediate essential expenses while everything else is changing.

Who it's forA serious hardship or unexpected event, with an immediate documented need.

Short-term Paid to providers
A young woman in her wheelchair laughing outdoors in a town plaza
Coming as we grow

Inclusive community experiences

Sensory-friendly film screenings, a summer picnic and a holiday gathering, built so families can come as they are.

Who it's forAny family raising a child with complex needs. No documentation needed to take part.

Sensory-friendly Picnic & holidays

We are starting small on purpose. This is our first year. Rather than promise more than we can fund, we are running a focused pilot, documenting what happens, and growing only as fast as the money allows.

Get involved

How you can help

Five ways to stand beside a family waiting for a voice, a trip, or a way through.

  • Make a difference

    Every gift shortens a wait that a family did not choose.

  • Be part of a family's journey

    Give a family a few days away, together.

  • Help give someone a voice

    Put a device in the hands of a child who has words to say.

  • Empower caregivers

    Steady a family when income, benefits and care all change at once.

  • Partner with us

    Corporate partnerships, matching gifts, DAF grants and sponsorships shorten someone's wait.

See ways to give

For families

If you need help

Families raising children and young adults with complex disabilities can register interest in equipment assistance or the year-one family getaway. The eligibility criteria and application form are still being finalized.

Get support

Gratitude

With thanks

Everything this foundation has done so far exists because people who never met Srinidhi decided her life should keep changing things. Thank you.

And to the clinicians, teachers and therapists who walked beside Srinidhi for eighteen years, thank you. You are the reason a family somewhere will not have to wait.

Become a sponsor

Get in touch

Tell us what you need and we will get back to you. Every message comes directly to our family.

Or reach us directly

About the foundation. The Srinidhi and Sumathi Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity and our EIN is 42-3822431. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax adviser about the treatment of your gift.