BAVINA SOOKDEO
“Try to do everything, do not give up!” This is the message that Surya Hosein sent out to people with Down syndrome. Hosein, 31, was born with Down syndrome, something which came as a shock to his parents. Despite the many difficulties that people with Down syndrome face to be fully integrated into society, Hosein’s integration thus far, is quite admirable. Today, he interns at IMAX where he finds new friends and meets people who inspire him to learn new skills and understand the working world.
Hosein’s parents, Steve and Shelley shared their fears and explained the challenges and triumphs of having a child with Down syndrome. The journey is no easy one.
When Surya was born, he looked very Chinese but it came as no surprise since his mother is of Chinese descent. He had to stay in hospital for nine days due to jaundice.
“When he was discharged from the hospital, a dear friend who is a paediatrician, told us that she wanted him to be tested for Down syndrome, due to his floppy body and a few other signs, only she recognised," said Shelley. “What a huge shock that was!”
She and her husband never knew much about it except from seeing a couple people with Down syndrome sitting by windows, mostly hidden away from the rest of the society.
Another challenge came when breaking the news to Surya’s siblings. “We also had the horror of explaining to our other three children, who had just lost their youngest brother, that this new brother is very different.” Thankfully, Surya had no heart problems, which is a regular occurrence in children with Down syndrome.
“The library had one book that explained about Down syndrome and didn’t give much encouragement for the future. We were desperately asking around for information regarding helping this baby to develop the basic abilities,” Shelley explained. Their fears were many. “Will he ever be potty trained? Could he go to school? Which school is capable of teaching him? Who will care for him when we pass on?”
It was then Shelley thought of the late Helen Humphrey’s granddaughter, Rebecca, and the fact that Helen could give them more information. “Our visit to their home and meeting Rebecca, gave us much hope that maybe Surya could live a good life with much assistance, but note well, he could never be totally independent, he would always need someone to guide and protect him in many ways, as these children are very trusting, hold no prejudices and are very loving, the latter being their most important and outstanding feature. We just hoped that somehow we could get him to at least take care of his most basic needs, so his caregiver will not be burdened.”
[caption id="attachment_1006697" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Surya Hosein has three brothers and one sister who have always been there for him, challenging him and supporting him as much as they can. -[/caption]
The main challenge Surya’s parents faced was a lack of information and evidence of success stories.
“Lady Hochoy Home
