GEORGE TOWN: S. THULAASHI made global headlines 12 years ago when the killer Boxing Day tsunami struck the west coast of Penang.
She was swept out to sea by the waves while sleeping at her parent’s seaside cafe in Pantai Miami, but was miraculously brought back by a second wave 30 minutes later — while lying on the same mattress.
Thulaashi was 22 days old then and she slept through the whole episode without a single drop of seawater on her body, earning her the moniker “miracle baby”.
Altogether, 37 bodies were washed ashore at the same location minutes after the sea returned to normal.
Today, the young lass, who scored 5As and 3Bs in her Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination recently, loves playing by the seaside more than anything else.
However, she is not allowed to go into the water alone unless accompanied by her father, A. Suppiah, 69, or mother, L. Annalmary, 54.
“I am not afraid of the sea, but I am scared of being bitten by jellyfish.
“In fact, I love going into the water to play but I’m not allowed to go in alone,” Thulaashi told the New Sunday Times at her parents’ cafe, which has been restored after the fateful day.
Until today, foreigners and locals alike go to the cafe to catch up on news of the miracle baby, with many bringing gifts for her.
Her parents proudly keep all the newspaper cuttings about their daughter, some of which were sent by customers around the world.
“I have heard so much from my father and I am happy to share with them (the visitors) what happened to me as a baby.
“Even my friends in school ask me about my story,” said Thulaashi, who aspires to become a scientist.
She will begin Form One at SMK (P) St George here when school reopens, and is expecting her new friends to ask her about her “miraculous adventure”.
As for Suppiah, scenes of the killer waves haunt him to this day, more so recently when the state was hit by the high tide phenomenon.
“We were on standby for any eventuality. The seawater washed into the cafe, but thankfully, we did not suffer any damage.
“These days, whenever we hear of tsunami in any part of the world, we will be on our toes,” he said, adding that it took him three months to recover from the shock of the tsunami back then.
“I remember what happened on Dec 26, 2004 very clearly. The hot sun. Then the wind. How I rushed out from the room. Everything...
“When the tsunami hit, the sea water smelt of sulphur, something which I had never experienced before although I have been staying by the sea most of my life,” he said.
As for Annalmary, she prefers to shield her daughter from the limelight.
“Just like how we considered our daughter as God’s precious gift to us, we have many people coming to Thulaashi and asking her to foresee their future, something we discourage,” she said.
The Boxing Day tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters to strike the region. Waves as high as 10m pounded the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The tsunami also hit countries as far as South Africa, Maldives, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen and Somalia, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake.
Indonesia was the hardest hit, with more than 130,000 people dead, while Malaysia lost 68 people to the killer waves.
Until today, Suppiah and Annalmary have never ceased to offer thanks to Goddess Ganga for the safe return of Thulaashi.
And just like every year, tomorrow, they will offer thanksgiving prayers for their miracle girl, as well as a special prayer to appease the souls of the 37 who died in Pantai Miami.