KRUKKAL MADAM, SRI LANKA (AP) – Devastated and pulled out of the mud as a toddler 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunamiand after an emotional legal battle reunited with his parents, the boy once known as “Baby 81” is now a 20-year-old with dreams of higher education.
Jayaratha Abhilash’s story epitomizes the story of a family torn apart by one of the worst natural disasters in modern history, but it also offers hope. More than 35,000 people have died in Sri Lanka, with some missing.
The two-month-old infant was swept away by the tsunami in eastern Sri Lanka and was found by rescuers a short distance from his home. At the hospital, he was number 81 on the admission register.
People drive past the area where Jayaratha Abhilash, known as Baby 81, was washed away in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
His father, Murugupillai Jayaratha, had spent three days searching for his scattered family, and by that early morning, little of his name was left except for a pair of pants.
First he found his mother, then his wife. However, her young son was missing.
A nurse took the baby from the hospital, but when she heard her family was alive, she returned it.
But the ordeal wasn’t over yet. Nine other families submitted their names to the hospital and claimed that ‘Baby 81’ was theirs, leading hospital authorities to refuse to hand over the child to Jayaratha and his wife without proof.
The family went to the police. The matter went to court. The judge ordered DNA testing, which was still in its infancy in Sri Lanka.
However, all nine other families legally adopted the baby and no DNA tests were conducted, Jayaratha said.
“The hospital named the child ‘Baby 81’ and listed the names of nine people who adopted the child, excluding us,” he said.
“We appealed to everyone who claimed the child was theirs to take a DNA test, but no one came forward,” he recalled. Jayaratha said the family provided DNA samples which proved the child was theirs.
Soon the family was reunited. Their story attracted international media attention, and they even traveled to the United States for interviews.
Jayaratha Abhilash, popularly known as “Baby 81,” naps in the arms of her mother Jenita as her father Murugupilai makes her comfortable during a photo shoot in New York on Wednesday, March 2, 2005. . (AP Photo/Mary) Altafar, File)
Today, Abhilash is taking his final high school exam. Down-to-earth and good-natured, he wants to go to university to study information technology.
He said he grew up hearing stories about him from his parents while his classmates teased him, calling him “81-year-old baby” and “tsunami baby.” He was embarrassed, and his mood worsened with each anniversary of the tsunami.
When journalists returned to hear his story, he said, “I thought, ‘They’re here,’ so I ran inside and hid.”
According to his father, the boy was very agitated and sometimes wouldn’t eat.
“I comforted him by saying, ‘Son, you are unique in that you are the only person in this world with a name like that,'” he said.
After being swept away in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Jayaratha Abhilash (right), known as Baby 81, cheers with her father Murugupilai at their home in Kurukkal Madam, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. sharing a moment. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Later, as a teenager, Abhilash was separated from his family and lost his fear as he read details about the events that brought him back.
He knows this nickname will last a lifetime. But it’s okay.
“I just take it as my code word now,” he said jokingly. “If you want to know me, please access that code word.”
He continues to search online to read about himself.
His father said the memories of those frantic days 20 years ago remain vivid even as other memories fade.
Jayaratha says the publicity his family has received over the years has also had a negative impact.
His family was excluded from many tsunami relief and recovery programs because government officials deemed them to have received money during their visit to the United States.
This experience also led to jealousy, gossip, and ostracism from neighboring families, forcing them to move.
The father wants his son and other family members to remain grateful for their survival, and he wants Abhilash to grow up to be able to help those in need. I hope.
Since the boy was a toddler, his father collected a small amount of money by working in a hair salon. When Abhilash turned 12, his family built a small memorial to the tsunami victims in their front garden. It shows four cupped hands.
The father explained: “The idea occurred to me that since all those who died left Abhilash behind, why not have our own memorial to remember them every day?”
Jayaratha Abhilash, known as Baby 81 who was swept away in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, stands with her father Murugupilai at a memorial to tsunami victims outside their home in Kurukkal Madam, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, December 17. Standing in front of the monument erected. 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A victim of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Jayaratha Abhilash, known as Baby 81, is seen at her residence after being swept away by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Kurukkal Madam, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. A flower stand has been placed at the memorial memorial. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
