I was six months pregnant when doctors told me I was going to have a child with Down Syndrome. I still remember what it was like.
In the cold hospital room, I was asked to make a life-defining decision. I remember feeling scared, not knowing what to expect, but it had never crossed my mind to abandon Hadbaa.
“Why does she look like that? What’s wrong with her?”
Hadbaa, Special Olympics young athlete
We knew that raising a child with Down Syndrome was not going to be easy. We knew we had to work a little harder to help Hadbaa with her physical and cognitive development.
Hadbaa, like many children with Down Syndrome, took a long time to reach important goals like walking and talking. She was also slower at developing social skills.
Additionally, Hadbaa was born with hearing difficulties, due to narrow ear canals. This hearing impairment also affected her speech development. Till today, at eight years old, Hadbaa can only say a few words and phrases.
Of course, the biggest challenge of all was the stares we had to endure. I remember one specific incident where we were in an elevator with a young couple with a child.
The child pointed directly at Hadbaa (who was only three then) and said, “Why does she look like that? What’s wrong with her?”
The most shocking of all was when all the parents did was turn away from us rudely. They only told their child to stop looking at Hadbaa.
There was no apology and no attempt to educate their child about other children like Hadbaa. In the end, I just stared at them in silence, not knowing what to say.
Despite numerous obstacles – from Hadbaa’s developmental delays to our unhappy encounters with strangers – I was determined to create the best possible life for Hadbaa, one that she deserves.
Giving up Was Not an Option for Me
When Hadbaa was younger, I did try applying for a spot at various childcare centres. Unfortunately, I was repeatedly rejected.
Moreover, I was told they did not have teachers to care for children with special needs. When Hadbaa was one, I decided to enrol her at the Rainbow Centre, a school for infants, children, and youth with intellectual disabilities.
At the Rainbow Centre, we heard about the Special Olympics Young Athletes Programme. Since then, Hadbaa has been a regular. From the age of three till now, she has not stopped.
Every week, we work on physical activities like jumping, throwing, catching, and running through obstacles with other children, both with and without intellectual disabilities. This has helped Hadbaa so much in the development of her fitness, coordination, confidence, motor, and social skills.
Hadbaa, Special Olympics athlete, participating in the Special Olympics Young Athletes Program’s physical activities.
It is not just Hadbaa who has benefited from the programme – I have also managed to build my own support system and network of parents. We share advice and resources with one another, and I know I am not alone in my journey.
A Mother’s Greatest Dream
Hadbaa has progressed leaps and bounds since joining the programme. She used to be so shy, but now she confidently waves and smiles at anyone she meets.
Moreover, I no longer have to hold her hand. She is also very active – when she started school recently at MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore), her teachers were surprised that she could run up and down the stairs without any assistance.
Hadbaa’s latest obsession is table tennis, which we have also started playing together as a family. Our hope is for her to train with the Special Olympics Singapore table tennis team, and maybe represent Singapore at the World Games one day.
We are so proud of how far Hadbaa has come and seeing her happy is my only wish for her. To every parent with a special child, there will always be people who will not understand.
However, we must remember that in spite of that, our children deserve to explore the world. We must let the world witness and appreciate how beautiful they truly are by giving them opportunities to be themselves.
Hadbaa and a Special Olympics volunteer coach.
This article was written by Noraini Amin, the parent of Hadbaa.
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