Her daughter is her life, with or without her special needs
WHEN VERONA Brooks found out that she was pregnant with her third child, she was just as excited as she was with the first two. However, it took her a while to come to grips with the fact that her new addition to the family had a challenge that required more effort during mommy-daughter moments.
“I was sad when I found out my daughter had an intellectual disability. I realised from early that she was unable to do a lot of the things that the other two could do. She had problems in school, and she could not monitor her work well,” Brooks explained.
Brooks’ daughter, who now attends the Santa Cruz Learning Centre, was enrolled in a standard primary school initially but had to be moved for a number of reasons.
“She had trouble reading and doing things that a normal child would be able to do in terms of how she cared for herself. So I knew I had to take things up in hand.”
Brooks said she didn’t have the money initially to have her daughter receive the assessment she needed, but, over time, she did what she knew she had to do.
“Children can be very unkind, and my daughter met upon a lot of them at her previous school. Because she is slow, they called her names, beat her up, and took away her things. She is a happier child now since she has been put in an area where there are children like her and they understand each other.”
UNBREAKABLE BOND
There is an unbreakable bond that Brooks has with her daughter, and she says that is what she holds on to and is grateful for, not the challenges or the obstacles that come with her daughter’s condition.
“To be honest, what she has a challenge with in comparison to what other children who have special needs go through is very mild, so I am grateful. We sit and speak of her ambitions, and I feel good when I hear her say she wants to be a teacher. Sometimes you will hear her say, ‘Mommy, don’t worry, I am going work and build you a house’. It warms my heart to know she has hopes and goals.”
Brooks added that there is never a dull day around her daughter as she cheers her up whenever she seems down and despondent.
“Children with special needs are very special. They are very passionate about the people they love, and they are go-getters. It is just for us parents to understand them, love them, and help them reach their goals as much as possible”, she ended.