Kochi: As they placed their hands over the canvas imprinted with little colorful handprints, memories of their late son Jaiden remained vividly “not out” in the minds of Sunil Baby and Liji Sunil.

Standing at the event held to honour their son's memory, the couple shared an emotional truth, “In every smiling face of these children, we see our Jaiden. When we walk holding their hands, it is Jaiden we feel holding onto our fingertips...”

After losing their specially-abled son at the age of 18, Sunil and Liji chose to begin a new innings in life. Today, the charitable trust they founded, named ‘18 Not Out’, has become a sanctuary of dreams for dozens of specially-abled children.

Sunil, originally from Pathanamthitta, and Liji, hailing from Chengannur, were settled in Bengaluru. Driven by a deep purpose, Sunil resigned from his high-profile corporate position as the Chief Business Officer at Xiaomi India to establish the trust.

The couple’s journey began years ago when Jaiden contracted brain fever at just one and a half years old, which eventually led to a loss of mobility and rendered him wheelchair-bound. When Jaiden was enrolled in a special school, Liji would drop him off every morning and stay by his side until evening before bringing him home. Seeing many other children facing similar challenges inspired Liji to complete a certification as a special school instructor. She went on to work as an educator, bringing comfort and guidance to hundreds of children.

Despite extensive medical care, Jaiden passed away three years ago. Heartbroken by the tragedy, Sunil and Liji found their path to healing by reaching out to hold the hands of other specially-abled children.

Headquartered in Bengaluru, ‘18 Not Out’ works dedicatedly for specially-abled children and their families. Their primary mission is to create platforms across the country where children with autism can showcase their artistic and athletic talents. The foundation also organises travel experiences for these children, with their next journey scheduled to Rishikesh next week.

“Words cannot describe how deeply our son's passing broke us,” Sunil and Liji shared. “Now, as we embrace the dreams of so many children like him in place of the son we lost, it feels like a purpose and a newfound hope. For them, our dreams will remain not out.”