Know no limits

The  MOSC Medical College where Anna and I work is into its second decade of existence.  We have been keen to get the students more involved into an interactive culture.

As a department of Developmental Paediatrics and Child Neurology, we wanted to explore the world view of medical and nursing students on children with neuro-developmental needs. We invited students to design a T-shirt on the theme, 'Beyond disability' with reference to children. Twenty seven students participated in the contest. Most of the entires had an original message. 

One student captioned it as 'know no limits'. 

Yesterday I visited a family, who has a nine year old child who is almost bed bound due to severe neuro-muscualr disease. Her muscles are wasted and has a spinal curvature dysfunction with difficulties of squint and mobility. She prefers to be on the prone position and has been attempting finger painting and some strokes with brush. There is a rich form and content in her painting. Her smile of welcome and engaging the visitors is most touching. She moves by rolling and needs considerable help for all the daily living activities. She conveyed very little strain on account of these demands on her. 

What was even more touching was her hospitality. She kept gesturing to her mother to offer me tea. She pointed to the packet of biscuits that she is fond of, and indicated to her mother to serve me that.

It is now thirty five years since I have been on this journey to accompany children with special needs. I have been discovering that, some children live 'knowing no limits'.

It was yet another thing to have a twenty one year old medical student unfold his vision of children with special needs as those who 'know no limits'. It would have come to him as a prophetic vision, because he is too young to have had many real life experiences to have discovered it naturally. I believe that this was an insight given to him, which many rehabilitation professionals are yet to discover. 

As a department we got inspired by this, to be even more active to foster this spirit among neuro-developmentally challenged children and their families. 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)