“Two roads diverged in a wood,
And I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
All children are special for their mothers, I am no different. My daughter Saiyanshi is a differently-abled person, but she proves everyday that disability is a matter of perception.
Saiyanshi was born prematurely. At that time, doctors, based on their scientific knowledge, had told me to prepare for the worst. But, Saiyanshi was born a fighter. She was in the ICU in an incubator for the first two and half months and fought against all odds that were thrown at her.
This impacted her overall growth and all her developmental milestones kept getting delayed. But Saiyanshi kept going. It was almost as if “giving up” was not in her dictionary. Saiyanshi was diagnosed at the age of 5 after teachers at her school shared that she was facing difficulties learning in the class. I had to quit working and our struggles for various assessments and therapies began. Though the initial phase was very confusing for me as I had no idea about what was happening, the saving grace for me was that Saiyanshi showed great patience, endurance, and willpower. She never complained or threw tantrums of not wanting to continue the therapies and tests. Many professionals who evaluated her gave up and tried to convince me that saiyanshi would be able to achieve only certain goals and that she had limited capabilities. But Saiyanshi surprised even her skeptics and moved on, conquering and learning. Her hard work and determination were the guiding light and strength for me.
Saiyanshi loved listening to stories since she was a baby. Though she could not read on her own much. That’s when she found a way to make everyone around her read to her. She made her own beautiful world of imagination full of words that accompanied her.
Saiyanshi is a visual learner. Being surrounded by many pictorial books, she got inspired and curious about creative arts and began her new journey and love for art. The continuation of therapies improved her communicative skills a lot. She gained more confidence and found her voice to express her feelings. But the year 2020 and Covid-19 Pandemic created another roadblock. Now her therapy sessions and classes had to start online. Yet another challenge she faced bravely, learning how to use new technology, making sure that her journey never stopped. Being at home gave us more spare time to spend with her. She started online participation in activities with Kartab Theatre by Nidhi Kundra. Participating in theatre activities had an immense positive impact on the overall personality of Saiyanshi. These activities are improving her communication, confidence and helping her to come out of her shell.
By now we, the mother-daughter duo, have become veterans in turning a challenge into an opportunity. Not wanting to leave any stone unturned we took a deep dive into a new opportunity for Saiyanshi as a storyteller.
Storyteller Saiyanshi
We started a You-Tube channel named Spin a Tale. She uses this medium to express her true feelings and teach positive values to her viewers. The stories are not only for kids but also for the entire family. Anyone who loves hearing stories can visit her channel @ https://www.youtube.com/
Saiyanshi’s channel is loved by her viewers. I am sure she will keep on finding new paths and achieve much more in life. Indeed, Saiyanshi proves to everyone that only our thoughts, fears, and mindsets limit us. She is limitless, doing even what we would think twice before doing. She proves that there are many ways of learning new things in life. One has to be on their toes, think out of the box, and not tie themselves in rote learning.
As Saiyanshi’s mom, I strongly advocate that every parent sets aside society’s expectations and limitations. Be the change to get things changed. Stop comparing your child to others. Know that every child is different and has different capabilities and limitations. Parents must encourage their children to achieve their full potential.
I wish Saiyanshi one day becomes an advocate of the differently-abled. She will become the voice for the voiceless. Saiyanshi dearest- I love you no matter what. Just keep believing in yourself and follow your heart. You have my full support and blessings always.
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