Patience, education, and good help

– Keys to successfully managing kids with Down syndrome

CHARLES Quail can still remember his frantic efforts of trying to save his newborn son Caleb who was born with an anorectal malformation. The boy responded very well to the corrective surgery that was done in Miami, and even as he copes with a mild case of Down syndrome today, two years later, nothing becomes too difficult for Charles to handle.

His deep love for his son makes all of the hard work seem like nothing. He described little Caleb as his heartbeat, perhaps because of the difficulties that they experienced together from the day he was born.

“What we went through from day one; it was a rush to save his life. It’s a very close attachment,” Charles shared in an interview with Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago, adding, “Every day is a different day, a learning day, but it’s not as bad as people make it out to be.”

Charles has seen from experience that with the right kind of help and people around you, caring for a child with Down syndrome becomes much easier and manageable. “Nothing is a challenge for me when it comes to him,” he expressed.

World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 is a global awareness day which has been observed by the United Nations since 2012. As the observance gets closer, Charles wants to remind parents with children who have Down syndrome that there are certain qualities that they must have to succeed. “You need a lot of patience and a lot of education, and love. It also takes a lot of time and dedication. Inform yourself, educate yourself; also take the time to educate your friends and family.”

Seeking answers and support

As for Nadia Sugrim, she prays every day and asks for a miracle for her only baby, four-year-old Declan Munro, who was born with two holes in his heart and has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. The heart defects affect Declan’s development; he must be in and out of the hospital for oxygen.

Nadia continues to be emotionally, physically, and financially exhausted as she and her family care for Declan. Even though she was saddened and even depressed when she learned that her son had Down syndrome, she cannot help but notice the amount of joy that he has brought to their lives. “I was fast moving; always on the move. Declan slowed me down