M: "Do you know why I'm shaky?"
Teacher: "Why?"
M: "Because Allah loves me."
M is a young girl who has been diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy: a genetic disease that eventually leads to death. Months ago, she was a happy little girl who's abssessed with the color PINK. Her pinky jacket reflected on her cheeks and lips, making her smile an unforgettable one. She speaks perfect English, and her cognitive skills are just great. She was the spoiled one in class.
Now, M's condition has got so much worse. She can barely sit on her wheelchair for an hour. The pinky-ness faded away, being replaced by a pale yellow color, and black circles around her eyes. You can barely understand her attempts to speak, and she struggles to breath. Her smile has dissapeared. You feel like she's slowly letting go of life as she asks others to hug her, and kiss her, telling them that she loves them so much. Perhaps its her way of saying goodbye...
Now the challenge we're facing is: telling her mother that M needs to rest at home and stop coming to school. She has been told before, but M's mother gave fake excuses such as M being a spoiled girl, or how much she loves sleeping, and so on. But at the same time, she is not the one to blame. She already lost a son with the same disease, and she's just hanging on to her little surviving one.
Teaching a dieing student. I can't explain the situation we, as teachers, are currently in. Sometimes I feel like M needs to rest, its just too much for her to be coming to school every single day. At other other times, I think of how she might be feeling alone at home waiting for her time to die. What a feeling. But as M said, it's because Allah loves her.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
an exceptional..
Reading about him made me optimistic again about our generation. The possibility of having U.A.E. nationals who are dedicated to our own community. Who feel responsible about raising important issues that touches the lives of other people--with and without special needs equally. It made me wonder about reasons why would a 21 year old young man spend much hard time and effort to help other individuals whom he probaby haven't even met. But there was no answer to my questions. I believe that people who dedicate themselves for others listen to their inner voice that comes from their heart. The voice I hear all the time.
Jalal Jamal Bin Thaneya, The towering hero, as he is called by a reporter from City Times.
He climbed up and down the stairs of 100 high rise towers in Dubai in 13 days. He scaled 8 to 10 tall buildings everyday, from 9 in the morning till midnight. He went through lots of pressure and hardships: lack of air in the stairwells, walking through smoking lounges and waste disposal areas, and management problems. On the other hand, it all paid off as he thought of children with special needs and how they were misunderstood. He considered his possible failure in this project as letting down his whole country.
Such an exceptional individual deserves all respect. He makes us, and his own country, proud. He, supposedly, acts as a role model for others to look up to. If he was in the U.S.A., he'd probably be on the Oprah show. However, thats our response:
"JALAL BIN Thaneya, a 21-year-old Emirati college student, has emerged as a scarred hero, lionised by the public and ridiculed by peers."
"he probably got more brickbats than bouquets for his extraordinary feat. "
"Another disappointment was that several people had promised to join him in his climb for a day or two, to give him company. But no one appeared, barring just two..."
"he said: I got harsh criticism before, during and after the event."
"its goal of raising money for the children was being perceived as a frivolous game."
"And now I found myself being misunderstood. Many people laughed at me and said why are you playing around."
"Sadly, I didn’t get the same support from most of my countrymen."
"he thought that I was just a fool playing a stupid game"
It left me speechless, hopeless, and hurt. But being part of the field taught me to never expect appreciation from others. Appreciation and gratitude is seen through the eyes of the children themselves.
"Emiratis are unique individuals. It’s time they came out and expressed themselves."--The towering hero
Jalal Jamal Bin Thaneya, The towering hero, as he is called by a reporter from City Times.
He climbed up and down the stairs of 100 high rise towers in Dubai in 13 days. He scaled 8 to 10 tall buildings everyday, from 9 in the morning till midnight. He went through lots of pressure and hardships: lack of air in the stairwells, walking through smoking lounges and waste disposal areas, and management problems. On the other hand, it all paid off as he thought of children with special needs and how they were misunderstood. He considered his possible failure in this project as letting down his whole country.
Such an exceptional individual deserves all respect. He makes us, and his own country, proud. He, supposedly, acts as a role model for others to look up to. If he was in the U.S.A., he'd probably be on the Oprah show. However, thats our response:
"JALAL BIN Thaneya, a 21-year-old Emirati college student, has emerged as a scarred hero, lionised by the public and ridiculed by peers."
"he probably got more brickbats than bouquets for his extraordinary feat. "
"Another disappointment was that several people had promised to join him in his climb for a day or two, to give him company. But no one appeared, barring just two..."
"he said: I got harsh criticism before, during and after the event."
"its goal of raising money for the children was being perceived as a frivolous game."
"And now I found myself being misunderstood. Many people laughed at me and said why are you playing around."
"Sadly, I didn’t get the same support from most of my countrymen."
"he thought that I was just a fool playing a stupid game"
It left me speechless, hopeless, and hurt. But being part of the field taught me to never expect appreciation from others. Appreciation and gratitude is seen through the eyes of the children themselves.
"Emiratis are unique individuals. It’s time they came out and expressed themselves."--The towering hero
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
