MUKILTEO—When nine-year-old Prisha R. was born she wasn’t breathing and had no heartbeat. Doctors didn’t believe she would survive; but if she did, she would be paralyzed for life. Despite all odds, Prisha is not only now walking but thriving – and was even named Mukilteo Police Chief of the Day during the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival earlier this month.
Prisha was born with spinal cord damage, which affects the entire right side of her body, due to complications during her delivery, her mother said. She was also born with half of a diaphragm, and only one of her lungs expanded, which renders her unable to fly on an airplane and she requires a machine to go to sleep at night.
For her first six years of life, Prisha was even unable to leave the house due to her lungs being susceptible to infection and disease.
“It’s so hard, as a mother, not being able to take your child to the playground or to a birthday party,” Prisha’s mother, Aesha, told the Lynnwood Times.
Despite this, Prisha never lost hope…nor her unwavering optimism. According to those who know her best, her smile ignites any room she enters.
Today, Prisha is a fourth-grade student at Columbia Elementary in Mukilteo where she goes above and beyond to care for her fellow students and continues to set an example for others with disabilities that they can do anything they set their minds to.
“She forgets that she has a disability, and she thinks a lot about other people. She always fights for them, helps them, and if something happens, she takes them to the nurse’s office. She always has a positive attitude,” Aesha said. “I am so very proud of her.”
Aesha used to work as a Bank Manager prior to Prisha’s birth but has since become a full-time caretaker for her daughter and three-year-old son. Her husband, who encouraged Aesha to quit her job and stay with their kids, works full-time at a convenience store in Seattle.
Aesha said she ultimately owes her daughter’s ability to walk to her decision to quit her job, being able to help her with physical therapy relentlessly from morning until night.
When Prisha was younger, Aesha had to transport her to 26 different doctors’ offices spread throughout the Seattle metro area – from downtown Seattle to Lake Stevens. Driving back and forth between appointments, through heavy traffic, was exhausting but she would always look over at Prisha in the passenger’s seat, see her big smile, and get the motivation to carry on.
“She never says ‘mom I’m tired.’ It’s a lot of driving but then I see her and I say no, if she’s not tired, I’m not tired. I just have to drive, she’s the one who has to go through it,” said Aesha. “She’s the one who motivates me and inspires me to fight…and I fight so hard for her every single day.”
On Saturday, September 12, Prisha was selected by the Mukilteo Police Department to be Police Chief of the Day where she was presented with a certificate in front of the Mukilteo City Council. She was also given an official Mukilteo Police Chief uniform, and a badge which she plans to frame and hang in her room.
“I was super excited to hear I was chosen and I was super excited to see everyone in the parade,” Prisha told the Lynnwood Times. “The mayor was really funny and exciting.”
Rathod was also invited to take a tour of the Mukilteo Police Department and had the opportunity to sit with Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine on a float during the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival Parade before being invited to a V.I.P. dinner, which she said was her favorite part about the whole experience.
“The Chief of the Day is a great program. Rathod is as sweet as can be. To talk to her and spend time with her you would be hard pressed to say she has a disability,” Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine told the Lynnwood Times. “We were just so happy to do it and let her be a part of the city.”
Many of Prisha’s teachers and classmates also attended the ceremony at Mukilteo City Council Chambers to show their support.
Prisha was nominated by Columbia Elementary counselor Erin Phare, along with four other students with disabilities. The police department chose her based on her incredible journey and never giving up despite her physical challenges.
The Mukilteo PD’s Chief for a Day program used to be run through the Police Academy, CJTC, but was discontinued during COVID. The Mukilteo PD, on the other hand, continued to do the program throughout the pandemic.
“The Chief for a Day program is something we’re so proud to do every year. It’s a chance to highlight a young person in our community that’s preserved through medical hardship or other life challenges,” Mukilteo PD Officer Nathan Fabia told the Lynnwood Times. “We’ve come to know that Prisha is extremely kind, generous, and has a joyful attitude despite her daily challenges. She’s intelligent and creative, and her parents and her little brother are amazing as well. They’re an awesome, awesome, family.”
Prisha’s favorite subjects in school are reading and art. Outside of school she enjoys reading graphic novels, painting and drawing, and her favorite character is Hello Kitty.
Her dream is to become a doctor someday so she can help other kids with disabilities overcome their own physical challenges.
When asked what her message is for other kids with disabilities, Prisha said the following:
“You don’t have to pretend you’re somebody you’re not. You can be yourself; you don’t have to hide your disability. You can do anything and your disability can’t stop you.”
Author: Kienan Briscoe
