His parents were even given a “Do Not Resuscitate” waiver, allowing doctors to take the baby off life support if his condition worsened. However, they decided to do all they could to keep their son alive.
It proved to be the best decision. Fast forward about 22 years later, and Sparsh is thriving.
The courageous young man, whose name means “touch” in Sanskrit, is now an international singer, rapper, songwriter and motivational speaker who has touched countless lives with his story.
“Ultimately, I share my story because I know my story can never be repeated. And that’s the same for everyone in this room, or who reads this interview: no one’s story can be repeated. And I’m sharing mine because it is through our testimony that we overcome,” Sparsh told FMT Lifestyle.
“Hopefully, I can encourage one person to overcome their obstacles. And maybe that person can inspire someone else to share their story, and so on, to create a beautiful chain reaction.”
Sparsh, born in New Jersey, US, first shot to fame in 2016 after uploading a video of himself performing “Not Afraid” by Eminem, infusing the song with Indian classical music. The video went viral: today, it has over 18 million YouTube views.
Since then, he has made prominent media appearances, including on “Little Big Shots” with Steve Harvey, and Kaun Banega Crorepati, India’s version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” with Amitabh Bachan.
Sparsh has also given a talk on TEDX Gateway, and was the subject of the documentary, “Brittle Bone Rapper”.
Recently, he set a Guinness World Record for the longest raised leg hold, raising both legs in an elevated position for two hours.
“I have 19 screws and two rods down my spine as part of a spinal fusion I did as a teenager. At the first follow-up, my surgeon told me I had to watch my weight or there would be a point of no return,” Sparsh shared.
“That was a wake-up call for me. I started eating less and working out more. And thanks to that fitness journey I was able to set this record. Those trials and tribulations have made me healthier than ever.”
Sparsh has since shared his story across nine countries, and raised over US$4 million for “The Garden of Dreams Foundation” and “The Encourage Kids Foundation”.
The young performer recently visited Malaysia, where he addressed an audience of nearly 10,000 at the V-Malaysia Conference 2025 in Penang.
Sparsh said he believed he is the only individual invited to speak at this conference twice, his first appearance being in 2019. He later visited Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur.
“The weather, food and people are amazing! I have not found too many places where people have taken care of me and my family as much as here in Malaysia. The hospitality here is next level,” said Sparsh, who has endured 125 fractures since 2020.
Music has always been a healing agent for Sparsh: whenever he broke a bone, his favourite songs would distract him from the pain. When he started writing songs at age 10, music became his therapy, and even a vehicle of worship.
Today, Sparsh, who performs under the name Purhythm (a fusion of “pure” and “rhythm”), writes and performs his own songs: he adds classical Indian touches to his music, a genre he calls “raaga rap”. He has been a student of Hindustani classical music for almost 16 years.
He recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Music Studies at Berklee Online. Now, his music is his mission: Sparsh aims to spread love and positivity through every lyric he writes and every note he sings.
For him, music is more than just performing. It is a bridge that connects hearts, uplifts spirits, and reminds people of the power of hope.
“I feel that art is a God-given gift. If I can help people heal physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially, through music, in the ways it has been healing me, then I feel I would have lived up to my responsibility as an artiste.”
For more information on Sparsh Shah, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.