GDD Changed the Script, So This Pastor Found Joy in Small Wins

Sitting by six months. Walking by one year. First words before two. For most parents, these milestones are markers of reassurance. But when the signs don’t appear on schedule, the ground can shift beneath your feet. That’s exactly what happened to Rev. Glenn Tan and his wife Lina when a routine checkup set them on a path they never expected—one filled with medical terms they had never heard of, difficult choices about education, and a journey of caregiving with no off-days.

Yet, instead of breaking them, this detour reshaped their family’s outlook on parenting, faith, and what it means to celebrate progress. And as their son Kristan grew, their story began unfolding in ways that would ripple far beyond their own household.

This is the story of Glenn, Lina, and their two children—Kristlyn, now 14, and Kristan, their 11-year-old son with global developmental delay (GDD). It’s about how one Singaporean family is challenging the timelines, rewriting the rules, and reminding the rest of us that milestones don’t have to look the same to matter.

The Diagnosis No One Saw Coming

Photo from Glenn Tan

Every Singaporean parent knows those 9-month checkups. For Glenn, that was when a doctor noticed something was off. “Kristan couldn’t pull himself to a standing position, which he should have been able to by nine months. So they referred us to KK Hospital.”

From there, came the words no parent is prepared to hear: global developmental delay. Doctors also discovered hypotonía (low muscle tone), hyperlaxity (extra flexible joints), and eventually, after costly DNA tests, a very rare condition called Dias-Logan Syndrome—a mutation in the BCL11A gene discovered only in 2016.

“There’s no Dias-Logan Syndrome community in Singapore,” Glenn said. “We don’t know of anyone else with a confirmed diagnosis here.”

But instead of spiralling, Glenn and his wife leaned into acceptance. “When the counsellor asked why we weren’t upset, we said, ‘This diagnosis helps us to care for our child better.’”

Choosing Rainbow Center Over the Mainstream Route

Like many Singaporean parents, Glenn and his wife faced a big question: mainstream or special education? “Some parents still hope their child with GDD can go into mainstream primary school,” Glenn explained. “But for us, it didn’t make sense because Kristan is non-verbal.”

Instead, they enrolled him at Rainbow Center, where the focus is less on exams and more on life skills. Kristan learned to use a touchpad app to communicate, put on his shoes, and manage belongings—everyday victories worth celebrating.

“As parents, we celebrate all the small things,” Glenn said. “When Kristan climbed stairs on his own at age five, it was a big deal. When he chose his own meal at McDonald’s on the kiosk, we celebrated. Parents may take these things for granted, but we don’t.”

Faith, Family, and the Power of Support

Photo from Glenn Tan

If there’s one thing that anchored the Tans, it was faith and community. “My church welcomed Kristan into Sunday school as per normal. Volunteers trained by Rainbow Center adapted lessons with picture Bibles, songs with actions, and even prayer cards for non-verbal kids.”

For Glenn, support goes beyond Sunday mornings. “Caregiving has no sick days. It’s very taxing. That’s why advocating for caregiver support is so important. Parents need to feel they’re not alone.”

His experience as a trained social worker and psychologist before becoming a pastor also shaped his view.

“Special needs don’t mean less. It means different. All humans are created in the image of God and are precious in His sight.”

Living with GDD and a Different Kind of Parenting

In a society that puts so much weight on PSLE scores, Kristan’s journey is a sharp contrast.

“With Kristan, it’s less stressful,” Glenn admitted. “He doesn’t need to take national exams or do national service. He’s cheerful, smiley, and happy.”

Still, there are challenges—like teaching him about appropriate touch or navigating social reactions in public. But Glenn urges parents not to dwell on deficits.

Photo from Glenn Tan

“Rather than focusing on what your child cannot do, focus on what they can, even if it’s on a different timeline.”

His encouragement to other parents? Shift the lens.

“Look back on how far your child has come. Celebrate the progress, however small. That helps you stay positive about the road ahead.”

Family Time, Food, and a Travel to Thailand

Parenting a child with GDD has not kept the Tans from chasing joy. Their weekends are full, pastoral life rarely slows down, yet the family still finds its rhythm. They linger at hawker centre tables, wander into old neighbourhoods for new flavours, and turn shared meals into small rituals of resistance against the grind.

When the calendar opens up, they take it a step further—travel. Annual family trips, from sunny Phuket to bustling Bangkok, have become their way of resetting and bonding. For the Tans, travel is not an escape from parenting with GDD. It is proof that their lives are shaped not by limits but by the possibilities they choose to embrace.

Closing Reflections: Strong, Courageous, Never Alone

Photo from Glenn Tan

Perhaps the most moving part of Glenn’s story is how intentional he and his wife were, even before Kristan was born.

“We named him Kristan Josh Tan, short for Joshua. The verse was Joshua 1:9—‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. I will be with you.’ We didn’t know he would have special needs, but God did.”

Looking back, Glenn says, “Kristan is a gift. After a miscarriage, his birth was already a blessing. His condition reframed that gift, not as a problem, but as a reminder: do not be afraid, God is with us.”

Beyond the Script

Sitting by six months. Walking by one year. First words before two. Those timelines may anchor the parenting playbook, but the Tans have shown us that life rarely follows the script. What began as a routine checkup became a reorientation of what progress really means.

The easy response might have been despair, but despair never came. Instead, the family leaned into new ways of measuring progress. They celebrated the small but mighty wins: Kristan climbing stairs at five, choosing his favourite cheeseburger at the McDonald’s kiosk, pulling his father’s hand toward what he wanted. Each moment became a declaration that growth is still growth, no matter the timeline.

Photo from Glenn Tan

And in these quiet victories of their son with GDD, they learned to celebrate a different kind of milestone—one that doesn’t fit neatly into charts but lives fully in the everyday.

For parents everywhere, the reminder is clear. When the script slips, the story isn’t over. Sometimes, that’s where the real story begins.