Keeping up the appearances

Growing up in India I never saw any child with deformity or any disease, whether down’s syndrome or any other birth defect. I never saw anyone with any physical or mental ailment except for a stray case of cross eye or epilepsy which was made fun of. It was rare to hear of a child being born with any congenital disease and such news was always received with the shaking of head and an expression of sympathy and then forgotten. However, things changed when I moved to the USA. Here I saw children with various diseases, both mental and physical, birth defects as well as those acquired later on. The reason not being that there are more birth defects in the USA than in India but rather that back in India people feel ashamed if their child is different. Children are taken to be matter of pride and ego and thus, not allowed to be different. If a child is born with a disease, he is hidden from the world. Even a child with a weak eyesight would be kept away from public to avoid any questions. People would rather keep the appearance of being perfect than actually trying to bring perfection in the lives of those who need help. By hiding a child that is unwell, parents tend to do more harm than good, ultimately adversely affecting the health of the caregiver as well. There is a need to acknowledge the differences. Parents and communities should build a strong network so that the child with special needs can come out and mingle with others. It is important that a strong support group comprising of families, neighbors, teachers and social workers is formed to guide and support those who need special help whether because of any physical shortcomings or because of mental ailments.