I was born with a heart defect. So the heart monitors, the leads and the wires were my acquaintances for the major part of my first year. My heartbeat was racing doubly fast and the doctors were worried my tiny, weak heart might not be able to sustain for long. However, there was a slight hope that the defect might gradually heal with age, to some extent. So no matter how shaken my newly-appointed parents were with the news, they didn’t lose hope and religiously followed the medical advice. And eventually, I grew out of it. I can’t say if my heart healed completely but the symptoms definitely did. I would finally be able to lead a normal life, everyone thought so but the happiness was only short-lived.
By the end of my second year, I had still not begun to speak a single word or even babble and my worried parents took me to the doctor again suspecting I am tongue-tied. Fortunately, I was not. Unfortunately, it was worse. My fetishes to arrange my toys a certain way, walking on tiptoes, hyperactivity and social withdrawal were indicative of Autism and thus, the doctors categorised me as ‘differently abled’ or a ‘special’ child.
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What’s so special about me, I used to wonder?
I cannot perform simple daily living tasks myself and am completely dependent on others for everything. But I realised much later that Autism does grant you special powers. At a mere age of 8, I had a very sharp memory for my age, could calculate big numbers orally, solved a 3 x 3 Rubik’s cube in record 2 minutes, and now at 15, am a Chess prodigy, a Taekwondo black belt, class topper in academics and much more.
How did this happen?
Well, I have very strong willed parents, I must say. Autism is often termed ‘incurable’ and a ‘lifelong disorder’ but I am a living example of fighting all odds and coming out as a winner. I was not in a position to fight for myself then but my parents were determined to win this battle for me. They tried whatever treatment options came their way, failed miserably but never lost HOPE. They kept trying, explored alternatives, researched extensively, discussed with experts and made certain decisions. Some worked for me, some didn’t. But they never stopped trying.
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And after years of dedicatedly and patiently working towards a common goal – they brought me back to a socially and emotionally acceptable life. This is the life I had always HOPED for. It was my destiny, maybe. But my parents shaped my destiny……. by never giving up on me.
I am very thankful to my parents not only for being courageous and standing by me all this while but for giving me the greatest lesson for life. To never lose HOPE. Realise the power of HOPE and you will win the hardest of battles.
If I can do it, anybody can.
