My name is Sumathy Seralathan, née Coomaraswamy from Urelu, Sri Lanka. My early years were spent surrounded by the vibrant culture and close-knit community of my hometown, where I attended Vembadi Girl’s High School. Life took a significant turn in 1991 when I moved to Canada, a decision that would lay the foundation for my future endeavors. I pursued my passion for technology by studying electronics at George Brown College and soon began working as a computer engineer.

Eager to grow in my field, I upgraded my qualifications with certifications in Novell and Microsoft MCSE. By 1995, life had blessed me with a beautiful son, and during my maternity leave, a new dream began to take shape. In April 1996, I registered Computech Distribution Inc., a company dedicated to the sales and service of computers, servers, and printers. This marked the beginning of my journey as an entrepreneur.

In August 1998, my daughter Mathura was born, bringing immense joy to our family. However, our happiness was short-lived. At eight months old, Mathura began experiencing seizures, and our lives were turned upside down. The diagnosis of epilepsy and autism came as a heavy blow, and we soon found ourselves splitting time between our home and Sick Kid’s Hospital. Despite the hospital’s best efforts, Mathura’s seizures became more frequent and severe.

In 2007, a glimmer of hope appeared when the hospital accepted Mathura as a candidate for brain surgery. After an eight-hour operation, during which two sections of her brain were removed, her seizures were finally brought under control. Although she had to relearn basic skills, Mathura showed remarkable resilience, slowly regaining her ability to walk, run, and speak.

In 2011, I advanced my career by becoming a Cisco Certified Network Engineer (CCIE) and worked on numerous Cisco collaboration projects.

But life had more challenges in store. In 2014, I was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer, necessitating multiple surgeries, including a mastectomy and breast reconstruction. Despite the physical and emotional toll, I returned to work, determined to keep moving forward.

As Mathura neared graduation in 2018, I searched for a day program that would cater to her unique learning needs. To my dismay, none existed that offered adaptive learning activities for young adults like Mathura. Realizing that other parents were likely facing the same dilemma, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I started part-time weekend classes and founded Tamil Canadians with Special Needs School, offering a blend of reading, math, yoga, physical activities, and arts and crafts designed to engage and educate.

In 2022, I expanded these efforts into a full-time day program, encompassing life skills training, cooking, art, computer skills, and more. I also pursued further studies, becoming a certified Yoga teacher and Autism specialist. The program grew out of a desire to provide young adults with the opportunities they deserve—opportunities to learn, grow, and express themselves. By 2024, due to overwhelming support and encouragement from other parents, we expanded our offerings to include classes for children as well.

This journey, filled with trials and triumphs, has been driven by my love for my daughter and my belief in the potential of every individual, regardless of their challenges. Through resilience, determination, and a deep commitment to making a difference, I’ve turned my personal experiences into a program that empowers others.

This program is designed to provide youths and young adults with special needs within the Tamil community the space and opportunity to grow, working on their self-esteem, enhancing their communication skills, learning new life skills, and much more.

The program also functions as a peer parent support group, with a mission to enhance the quality of life for persons with autism spectrum disorder and to empower them and their families. We aim to be an access point, connecting families to resources such as camps, day programs, respite workers, government financial programs, housing support, and specialized services.