Tulsi Vagjiani, the woman whose family died in a plane crash at the age of 10, has passed away Monday 11 May aged 46.
Vagjiani was an award-winning humanitarian who was an ambassador for charities such as Changing Faces, who supports people with visible differences.
She was also known to actively campaign for awareness and inclusion, as well as working in pilates rehabilitation and yoga classes, life coaching and motivational speaking.
The humanitarian received many tributes following social media posts made by her family announcing her passing.
Katie Piper is an English writer and activist who survived an acid burn attack in 2008, with her own foundation in the same name.
In her tribute, she commented: “I will always remember you for your kindness, you had a big impact on my life and I know changed the life of so many burn survivors.
“I hope your suffering is over and you are at peace.”
One account, using the handle @poppysmallhandstattoo, had closely worked with Vagjiani, tattooing her over the years.
Poppy commented: “Tattooing you and working with you was and will continue to be one of the greatest honours of my life. You really showed me a light Tulsi, and I feel so sorry and duller that you are gone.
“I hope you’re in the warm embrace of your family, and you can tell your little brother that you kept his backpack safe all this time.”
Reena Ranger OBE and Founder of Women Empowered, commented on Facebook, saying: “She was an inspiration to many and we were lucky to have her speak at our group.
“Sending sincere condolences to her family, friends and people who were touched by her bright light.”
On 14 February 1990, Vagjiani and her family were onboard Indian Airlines Flight 605.
The flight was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Bombay to Bangalore. On the day, the flight crashed onto a golf course, whilst attempting to land at Bangalore.
The crash killed 92 of the 146 people on board, including Vagjiani’s parents and younger brother. Whilst she escaped with her life, she was also found to have suffered seond and third degree burns, around 45% of her face and body.
During investigation, it was found that the 605 crew weren’t aware of the situation and the danger they faced at the time, resulting in delayed reactions during the descent of the flight.
Vagjiani was 10 years old when the accident occurred.
She had been in hospital for several weeks when her bandages were removed and she got the chance to look at what she looked like.
She remembers looking in the mirror, telling The Guardian: “I actually thought somebody drew that face on, because I thought: that’s not me. And then, looking at the person in the mirror, their eyes and mouth moving, I realised: that is me.”
Her school life was simple, accepting and kind. Her classmates made her feel included in primary school, and in secondary school, they were “very supportive”.
Vagjiani told The Guardian: “I made friends straight away, who are still my friends now. I had the best experience; there was no bullying.”
However, out on the streets, the experience was entirely different.
People would cross the street because they thought they’d catch something, and boys at school would shout after her, calling her “Freddy Krueger” – the killer from the 80s horror film, ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ – she said in a podcast episode with Jemma Permalloo on Instagram.
She also told The Guardian about what it was like growing up in a South Asian community.
She said: “Everything is body image – comparison starts from a young age, where you don’t look like that Bollywood actress. All my life, I was trying to be someone I’m not. We are designed to be ourselves, but I didn’t have that growing up.”
Vagjiani had been part of a campaign called ‘I Am Not Your Villain’, run by a charity called Changing Faces.
Both the campaign and charity are about changing the way that the film industry has been portraying people with scars, burns and other noticeable differences as ‘villainous’ or ‘scary’ characters.
For their campaign video, Vagjiani appears dressed as Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The campaign points out that only one in five people with a visible difference have seen a character who looks like them as a hero in a TV show or film.
On self-image and the way she viewed herself, she told The Guardian: “I’m so over the staring thing. But if we’re talking about my 13-year-old self, I want to give her that level of confidence, to say: ‘I know it’s not easy, and I know you’re in a world where it’s going to be difficult, but really make yourself confident and really own this.’”
“I love my scars now. I cannot imagine myself without them.”
However, the crash was just the tip of the iceberg.
At one point, after feeling sick for a while and getting tested at the GP, Vagjiani had been rushed to the hospital after finding out she had high blood pressure. From hours of waiting, she had found out that she had end stage renal failure.
Vagjiani was studying at university all whilst being on dialysis, achieving a 2:1 grade.
Despite going through these extraordinary events and having a more-than-normal life, Vagjiani was able to persevere and find self-love.
Another of Vagjiani’s notable achievements was speaking at TedXUniversity Of Salford.
Her passionate talk covered her accident, and how being bullied from a young age to being rejected from jobs, shaped the person she became as an adult.
During her talk, she said: “That Tulsi who is fighting injustices in the playground, she’s back. She’s back, because she wants to see the change. I am working on my self love, I am working on my confidence.
“In 2015, I became a catwalk model. I have done a lot of work with Katie Piper and her charity, the Katie Piper Foundation. It’s what I do – I am a transformation visionary.
“I am about flipping scripts, I am about being the change that I want to see in this world.”
Vagjiani is remembered as a light, a hard-working woman and activist, and someone who worked passionately to make sure that everyone in similar situations to hers were heard and appreciated.
Her family also writes on social media: “Tulsi touched so many lives with her kindness, strength, warmth, and love, and we know this loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew her.
“As a family, we want to thank each and every person who kept her in their prayers, sent messages, checked in on us, and showed love during such a difficult time. Your support has meant more than words can express.”
Vagjiani passed away in the early hours of Monday, surrounded by family and loved ones.
