BE THAT HAND

 

She would come for review with her 4-year-old son firmly strapped to her back. The boy was heavy but how could she allow him to walk beside her? He would be all over the place and they would get stares. She couldn’t afford a wheelchair that could keep the child strapped and restrained. I wondered what the journey on the commercial vehicle was like. He had been diagnosed with Autism, Epilepsy and had symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He was not speaking yet and had no friends. Not all his medications were covered by the national health insurance scheme, and some were costly.

In a country where the few inclusive schools and rehabilitation centres are mostly found in the cities and are not free, the future looked gloomy for him. His mother didn’t have a stable job. She was the one caring for him, so it was not feasible for her to look for a well-paying job that would require her to be away from him.

I remember speaking to the father of a child with cerebral palsy. His only option was to bath and feed his daughter, strap her in a wheelchair and then leave her alone at home while he left for work. In the afternoon, he would ask for permission from his supervisor and go home and give his daughter lunch. He was a single parent. His wife had abandoned them. The other children had to go to school and there was no relative to care for the child with special needs. He couldn’t afford a house help. He couldn’t afford to stop work too. He worked as a security officer in an institution.

There have been instances where people who could afford house-helps and so brought them in, regretted making that decision. They were horrified by the things they saw being done to their children on CCTV. These are children who may not be able to talk about their ordeal. So, if there are no cameras in their homes, then your guess is as good as mine.

Some adolescents with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other learning difficulties have suffered from depression or anxiety because of the constant teasing and bullying at school. They are stigmatised and develop low self-esteem. Simply because they have special needs; a situation they didn’t put themselves in.

There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. I would say, “It takes a nation to raise a child with special needs”. This April, as we create awareness about autism among the populace, families of children with special needs call for a helping hand in raising their children.

You can be that school proprietor/proprietress who opens your school to children with special needs and gets it resourced to cater for them. You can be that class teacher who shows love and goes the extra mile to ensure that the child with special needs feels included in the class. You can be that leader at church or the mosque who creates an inclusive environment for that child. You can be that parent who does not withdraw his child from school because a child with special needs was admitted there, but rather, one who teaches his children to love, make friends with them and support them.

You can be that health worker who gives priority to these children and ensures that they don’t join the regular queue and that the processes are expedited so that they can avoid the eyes of stigma and pity. You can be that clinician who makes time to listen to the complaints and shows empathy and not be the one who just can’t wait for them to leave your consulting room.

You can be that trotro or taxi driver or conductor (mate) who exercises patience as they board the vehicle and gives them a seat where they would be most comfortable. You can be that passenger who tries to accommodate these children and not the one who gives the, ‘you are not training your child well’ look to their parents.

You can be that neighbour who tries to put up with them. You can be that employer or supervisor who understands a parent’s need to take his or her child for check-ups and therapy and creates a flexible schedule for him or her. You can be that co-worker who understands why your colleague must have a flexible schedule and not the one who becomes embittered by that privilege.

You can be that friend who checks up on the family occasionally and asks how you can help. You can be that person who shares words of encouragement with them. You can be that policymaker who considers such families when making policies. You can be that social worker who looks out for them. You can be that citizen who advocates for resources to be made available to create an all-inclusive environment for these children. You can be that church member who prays for such families.

As the world of special needs calls for people to lend a helping hand, let your response be, “Let me be that hand”.

Dr (Med) Gloria Amponsah-Kodua

Paediatrician (Kids’ Eden Learning and Therapy Centre).

Special acknowledgement

Dr(Med) Marilyn Marbell-Wilson (Neuro Paediatrician) of Mission Paediatrics and Dr(Med)
Charles Hammond (Paediatric Neurologist) of KATH. Your passion for Neuro Paediatrics is unparalleled. Please keep up the good work.

Mrs Mary Amoah Kuffuor of Klicks Africa Foundation. You have made your life and your daughter’s an open book so that others don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You go out of your way to look out for and support such families. God bless you.

Mrs Daisy Jonathan (Warrior Mums, Africa) and Mrs Afia Amoah-Kubiti (Autism Wonders). You have created support groups for carers of these precious children, and you continue to educate them and support them. May God reward your efforts.

Pharm Kate Kwakye Marfo (Little Haven School), you acquired a diploma in education and have created a Haven for these children.

Mr Emmanuel Ntow Nyarko (ENNY foundation) and Mr Rudolf Ampofo (Craft Education), thank you for making the education and therapy of these children feasible and fun. What you have created is education without borders.

Mrs Hagar Meneghini (Berean Community SDA church). Auntie Hagar, where do I even start from? I think when God was creating you, He had me in mind. God richly bless you.

Dr(Med) Akosua Omena Boateng, Editor in chief, God bless you.

 

 

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