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Living with a Father who has Down’s Syndrome

Since having Saajan, I’m given daily inspiration from the beautiful stories I see all over social media showing that people with Down’s Syndrome can lead pretty normal and fulfilling lives given the right support. When I saw the title “Man says father with Down’s Syndrome inspired him to be the best person possible” pop up on my news feed, my heart skipped a beat and I had to re-read it as I couldn’t quite believe it. It’s a known fact that most males with Down’s Syndrome are infertile. So to see a story written by a son of a father who happens to have Down’s Syndrome is pretty remarkable. More than the fact that Mr Issa was able to have children, the entire story is maybe the most heart-warming and inspirational story I’ve heard. Not only because Mr Issa (Sader’s father) went against all odds and fathered a son, but also because of how more alike than different he is to a strong family man who may not have Down’s Syndrome – where he has worked so hard to provide for his family and so that his son can have a sound education, where he has a solid relationship with family and friends and where he has a loving marriage where they ride the typical motions that most couples do! Mr Issa has achieved more in his life time than some living without an extra chromosome have. I reached out to Sader as I really wanted to hear more. Hearing Sader’s story about his father, Mr Issa, touched me so deeply and made me realise the future is as much Saajan’s as it is anyone elses. Thank you Sader for sharing more about your beautiful family and for making me realise that Down’s Syndrome or not, both Arjun and Saajan are incharge of their own destiny no matter what hurdles they may face! Here’s what Sader shared with me …
I am a dentistry student who loves sports like swimming and bodybuilding. I’m a pretty regular guy who likes watching movies and spending time with my friends. I currently live at home with my parents in Syria. My father has four brothers and three sisters and he is treated with love and respect by his family despite being born with Down’s Syndrome. My mother and father were introduced through family and I think it was pretty much love at first site! He is treated with love and respect by my mother’s family and by all the people who know him. My father works hard in a wheat factory where he has worked for the last 25 years, 6 days a week. In the winter, he is in charge of selling the products that are produced in the summer. In the summer, he works on a machine that grinds the wheat. We are a pretty regular family. My mother is a housewife and works hard at maintaining the house while my father is out to work and I am focusing on my studies at the moment. My father and I have a great father and son relationship – he is my friend, my brother and my father. I totally admire everything that he has done for me. I have a father who loves me and supports me in everything that I do unconditionally.
My father enjoys watching Syrian TV shows, visiting relatives and drinking coffee with neighbours. Having a father with Down’s Syndrome has impacted my relationships for the better. Many people look up to our family because of all that my father has achieved. As a child who grew up with a father with Down’s Syndrome, I know exactly how pure hearted and loving they are but also that they have ambition and drive and deserve a decent life and do not deserve to be aborted. What makes me most proud of my father is that although a lot of people thought that what he was trying to do was impossible, he did not pay attention to them and worked hard to earn money for his family so that I can go to school and learn. Many people think that a person with Down’s Syndrome are not able to live an ordinary life, that they are unable to get married or have kids – it may be rare (there are currently 3 documented cases of a male with Down’s Syndrome having a child though there may be many undocumented cases), but my father is an example that it is possible! I believe each and every person in this world deserves to be loved and appreciated, including people with Down’s Syndrome. I believe people with Down’s Syndrome and other disabilities deserve respect as they are able to achieve a lot more than many assume.
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