We are blessed parents of two children with special needs. All kids are special to their parents, and our children are special in some different ways. My elder daughter has a hearing impairment whereas my younger son is autistic. I, as a mother found out the special abilities in my children and nourished them to achieve their goals.
Life has never been kind to us but the “Never Give Up” slogan in our family has helped us stand strong through all the consequences that came our way. Yes! it would never have been possible without our togetherness.
My children, my husband and I always stand for each other. I am a non-practicing pathologist. My husband is a lawyer. My daughter is a National Level Bharatanatyam dancer, yoga instructor, makeup artist, aspiring model and Art teacher. Additionally, she owns her own business which deals in online handmade jewellery and homemade chocolates. My son is focused on reaching his goal of having a doctoral degree in Mathematics. At present, he is pursuing his Ph.D from BITS Pilani, Goa campus and also serving as a Teaching Assistant there.
My daughter was around six months old when we discovered that she was hard of hearing. She had to undergo many tests and when she was almost one year and eight months old , she started wearing hearing aids. After that, her speech therapy, special training and school life started. Meanwhile my son was born. He used to respond to sounds but did not respond to his name or any commands, so again we suspected that there would be some issues with him. He was extensively tested and diagnosed with autism.
My daughter took pre-school training from The Central School for the Deaf. When she was just three years and five months old, her schooling started. At the time we didn't have proper schools for special needs in the city. So for her special training, we had to travel daily for four hours. Later when my son was diagnosed, I used to travel with both the kids to Mumbai for their special training. To reach our destination we had to change two trains and then travel by bus or taxi. This journey continued for two years. After preschool training, we got both children admitted to a regular school. My daughter who had learnt lip reading used to sit on the first bench and lip read her teacher. This helped her to cope with her school life. Simultaneously, my son slowly and steadily was adjusting to school life. He was non verbal till the age of four, but later started speaking and doing good in his academics. He always used to top his class.
Along with their regular schooling, my daughter who had a passion for dancing, was admitted to Bharatanatyam classes whereas my son grew more friendly with books.
Both children have gone through various medical issues from their childhood. My daughter from the age of one, was suffering from severe migraine attacks and used to get admitted to the hospital often. Later when she was twelve years old, she started to face issues with low blood pressure. As if these challenges were not enough for her, this year in March, she had a vertigo attack. After three days we discovered that whatever little bit of hearing she still had (say about five percent), she had lost that too. By now she has undergone a Cochlear Implant operation and is able to hear almost everything (we still have to continue with therapies for at least one year). We say it's like a rebirth for her now, after her implants. On the other hand, my son at the age of seven, was detected with celiac disease. After a biopsy, he was diagnosed with early stages of intestinal cancer. After treatment for six months, my son recovered from his issues, but till date, he has to maintain a restricted diet. Facing different issues has taught us never to give up. These difficulties in life have made us stronger with each step.
As days passed by, my daughter finished her twelfth class and went on to do a diploma in Nrityayog Sutra. She completed her Art teacher training and has been conducting different workshops on art in schools for children with special needs. She has completed her advanced course in Bharatanatyam and has performed in more than sixty stage shows. She has also been blessed with many awards for her achievements. She has got first place in India in an online dance competition organised by Le Rhythm affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, India. Apart from this, she has done modelling for ‘Tribes India’ a government brand, and also owns her handmade jewellery business for the past six years. Her journey with her jewellery making, dance shows, and modelling assignments will continue for years to come and she needs everyone's good wishes for that. Today she is known as the 'World's best hearing impaired Bharatnatyam dancer'.
My son who is good in academics has bagged more than thirty different scholarships to date. He is an NTS scholarship holder and has topped India in the KVPY scholarship. His JEE rank is 16 (PWD), and his AIR in CSIR- NET is 69. At present he is doing his Ph.D in Mathematics, staying independent since 2016, managing all his expenses on his fellowships.
Life has never been an easy game for us but the 'Never Give Up' slogan of our family has helped us to stand strong always.
Stay positive, Stay strong.
About the Author:
Archana Suresh Patil is a non-practising pathologist, blessed mother of two special children, parent counsellor and motivational speaker. She has been the recipient of several awards like Best Parent, Supermom Aadhunik Hirani, Mai-lekh Puraskar and Swayamsiddha. She is involved in talks, seminars and communication around Disability in the social and academic community.
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