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Angel Aquino’s youngest daughter Thea Bernardez just graduated from college and her mom posted a sweet message on Instagram.
“I’m sorry if all those years, I did not fully trust that I’ll ever see this day… Angel begins her post. “Your doctors said to be ready for the worst: speech, movement, comprehension are all challenged and may not even come; that you might stay in bed your whole life.”
“Yet we kept on going, with no rush and no pressure—each day, each year, one school, one milestone at a time.
Her daughter Thea was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when she was born and although it was treated, it recurred when she was 10 years old.
“Look where you took me today. We’ve gone miles from that bed, haven’t we? Angel asks in her Instagram caption.
“Thank you for being unlimited, undaunted, unafraid. Your indomitable spirit powered through, Thea. That is your gift from God. Don’t ever lose it.
At the end of her caption, Angel writes a beautiful reminder to Thea that many of us could also learn from:
“(Life is half fate and half you. Half blessings and half hard work. Grateful that my daughters are way better people than me.)” Angel writes.
Parenting advice: Take it one day at a time
Angel’s Instagram caption is a great reminder for all parents: take it one day at a time. Parents often easily get caught up in the pressure to ensure their children have a secure and successful future. And it makes each hurdle feel more detrimental than it actually is.
For parents who have other hurdles like their kids’ health and development just as Angel did during her daughter’s younger years, another piece of advice is important to hold on to.
Focus on what your child can do, advises Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughan in her mini parenting masterclass published on Unicef.
“Every child with a disability has strengths. These may be in doing artwork, in their personality, or in their motor skills. Every child has a strength, says Samms-Vaughan.
“It’s more important for us to focus on what children can do, their abilities, rather than their disability. We can use children’s abilities to assist the areas that they have most challenges with.”
To read about another mom’s story on hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, and global developmental delay, click here.
READ MORE STORIES ON PARENTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES:
- Candy Pangilinan's Son With Autism And ADHD Graduates: 'Next Level Na Po Tayo'
- Saab Magalona Doesn’t 'Need Your Pity' Because Her Son Has Special Needs, 'He's Our Pride And Joy'
- Martin Nievera: 'I've Stopped Apologizing, 'I'm So Sorry, He's Special,' You Don't Do That. No'
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