Amanda’s story:
Trusting in God’s sovereignty Amanda and her husband Richie have been caring for a daughter who suffers from brain damage and a mother with dementia.
D
ara was born normal. But when she was 14 months old, she had herpes encephalitis, which put her into a coma for several months. Coming out of it, she lost everything she knew. Like a brand-new baby, she had to re-learn every skill—how to swallow, chew, drink, roll over, sit, walk, use her hands, understand language, and speak.
The encephalitis also caused brain damage, and doctors said
she would most likely end up in a vegetative state. When she recovered, they called Dara the “miracle baby”. Since then, Dara has gone through many intervention programmes and therapies. They have helped get her to where she is now—functioning to a large extent, but not independent. She’s almost 18, but still lacks the ability to care for herself. She can’t read words and can hardly recognise “1” to “10”. She remembers her teacher’s instructions about going to camp, but can’t pack her bag. She knows the sequence for taking a shower, but can’t get herself clean. She can almost dress herself, but clothes still get 57
