As shared by Biboara Yinkere:
So my campaign train is on DOWN Syndrome.
Please don’t say the world is talking ‘End Sars’ and this woman is still talking DS. I am with you in spirit and I pray the youths will after now, join us moms and siblings to mount pressure for an environmental change in the area of special needs.
That being said, I’ll be sharing the story of a teenager. Actually, her elder brother wrote the story.
Please read!
Sometimes I feel like I’m the one who is special. I feel so favored by God to be Ele’s elder brother. We prayed for her; we hoped for her. And God gave us a gift (that’s the meaning of her name).
Personally, I’ve never perceived her as disadvantaged, only unique. God in His infinite wisdom instilled in her uncommon virtues that the so-called “regular kids” can only dream of. Ele was God’s wild card in the twist of fate that our family experienced.
She was only 5 years old when my mum passed on but she filled in the gap in a way that is nothing short of miraculous. In the midst of 3 stoic and bereaved men, Ele brought peace, warmth, and light into our hearts. Her smile, her ambiance, her selfless thoughtfulness… these were God’s intentional alternatives to a speedy cognitive development process for her.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget how young she is. Her sense of responsibility is off-the-charts. In place of carefully articulated speech, she communicates love in the most wordless yet effective ways. Perhaps God used some tissues from her frontal cerebral hemispheres to create an extra layer to her heart muscles.
I wish to appreciate specially The Engraced Ones for creating a community where even though I’m passively participatory, I feel like I’m not alone in the challenges and joys of being so closely associated with a special child. It is an experience that imaginations cannot convey. It is a blessing: it is God’s gift to us