Raising children with special needs
MANILA, Philippines - Raising a child is not easy, how much more when the child is special? It requires patience, understanding, and a lot of hard work. Parents are on-call 24/7.
Center for Possibilities, Inc. recognizes the fact that parents and families with special children experience great emotional turmoil and deep chasms of pain, and believes that when parents and families with the same concern meet, they can provide mutually needed information and emotional support.
The Parent Support Group of Center for Possibilities, Inc. recently met at Reach International School with Tony and Dottie Pasia as speakers. Tony and Dottie are the founding members of the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines (DSAPI), an NGO that seeks to help families of children who were born with Down Syndrome and aims to provide proper knowledge in order to understand more individuals with Down and to address their needs so that they may have greater quality of life.
Mr. and Mrs. Pasia are blessed with three lovely daughters. The youngest, Vicky Lou, was born with Down syndrome. Tony is the chairman of the board of DSAPI while Dottie, an advocate of special people, is the president of Barangay San Lorenzo Persons with Disabilities & Co.
They talked about their experiences in bringing up a special child. They shared their journey from the first time they learned of Vicky Lou’s condition from the doctor right after Mrs. Pasia gave birth, to acceptance to the difficult times they had while their daughter was growing up
As Mrs. Pasia said, “It is hard to raise a child with Down Syndrome or for that matter any child with special needs because of the medical and educational needs. But the happiness and joy Vicky Lou brings to our family negates all our fears and anxieties.” The couple sees Vicky Lou as the bond that holds them together and strengthens their faith in God.
To find out more about the Center for Possibilities Parent’s Support Group, visit http://www.possibilitiescenter.org/home.
