Over the last weekend, those of the Hindu faith gathered en-masse across the globe to partake in the Thaipusam festivities. Meant to commemorate the moment when the Goddess Parvati bequeathed the divine spear, ‘Vel’, to her son Lord Murugan to dispel the evil demon Soorapadman, the festival is celebrated in the month of ‘Thai’, otherwise known as the 10th month of the Tamil calendar, hence its name.
In the case of Malaysia, local streets have once again seen the return of swelling crowds after the relaxing of Movement Control Order measures with celebrations kicking in full swing. But asides from a return to form, there’s another special reason why this year’s Thaipusam has been made even more special for Marie Puspan.
Woman who helped deliver miraculous ‘Thaipusam baby’ reunites with her a year later
And that is owing to last year’s Thaipusam miracle that took place right outside the premises of the Batu Caves temple, when Marie had been among the devotees present who assisted in the birth of a newborn child as her mother went into labour in a pickup truck. The story quickly gained traction and became a viral sensation as a reminder the inherent unity that threads between all Malaysians regardless of race, religion or creed.
Fast-forward to 2023, and Marie has reunited once again with the now year-old baby Fatimah that she had helped bring into this world as reported by local news outlet Free Malaysia Today. Met by the baby’s parents, 41-year-old Lidawati Zakaria and 43-year-old Ismaidi Ismail, Marie couldn’t help but tear up during the heartwarming scene.
As one can expect, the happiness was shared among all those present with Fatimah’s parents both overjoyed that they were finally able to meet both Marie and her daughter, Naroshinii Annaselam again. Both mother and daughter had been en-route to the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Batu Caves during last year’s Thaipusam before noticing the distressed couple in their pickup truck.
Mother-daughter wasted no time to lend a hand
Upon realising that a semi-conscious Lidawati was already in the middle of delivery with her baby halfway out, they leapt immediately into action as Naroshinii removed her kurti top to assist in the birth. Other worshippers who were at the scene followed suit by procuring childbirth essentials or shielding both mother and newborn from the sun and prying eyes.
Speaking to local newspaper The SunDaily in 2022, Lidawati confirms that both Marie and her daughter were the first people to arrive at the scene to help her and her husband.
“The aunty and her daughter, who were the first to come to our aid, were very comforting. They made sure I felt calm and comfortable as I started to give birth to our daughter.”
“The aunty comforted me as much as she could to keep me calm while holding my baby and unhooking the umbilical cord, which was wrapped around my newborn’s neck,” she recounted.
Since her only daughter’s birth, Lidawati said that they had intended to meet Marie since last year but had to delay multiple times owing to conflicts in their schedules.
She adds that Fatimah has grown to become a fast learner, and hopes that she will eventually help contribute towards greater unity in Malaysia, especially given the memorable circumstances surrounding her birth.
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