The internet may be full of horror stories and things you’d rather not see, but every once in a while you get the chance to read or watch something that makes you thankful for the web of connection it has established.
This is one of those moments. Or at least it was for me, after hearing one Syrian student’s tale concerning his father.
Sader Issa, who is a student of dentistry in Syria, explained the relationship he had with his dad, who happens to have Down syndrome, growing up.
Want to know what the main difference is?
… There is none.
The internet may be full of horror stories and things you’d rather not see, but every once in a while you get the chance to read or watch something that makes you thankful for the web of connection it has established.
This is one of those moments. Or at least it was for me, after hearing one Syrian student’s tale concerning his father.
Sader Issa, who is a student of dentistry in Syria, explained the relationship he had with his dad, who happens to have Down syndrome, growing up.
Want to know what the main difference is?
… There is none.
No, according to Sader, his dad, named Jad, showered him with love and affection from the day he was born and did his best to make Sader’s childhood the same as any other kid’s. When he was younger, Jad took a job at a wheat mill and started saving money so his son could attend college.
Jad did everything in his power to give his son the best opportunities in life, and he inspired Sader to study hard and become a doctor.
What’s more, Jad is a pillar of his community and, though Sader admits living with Down syndrome has its complications, his dad hasn’t let it get in the way.
Sader told the Syrian Society for Social Development that he’s not ashamed of his dad. Far from it, in fact.
“I’m proud of my father. Throughout my life he has been the greatest support for me when I needed it,” Sader said.
Indeed, father and son share a bond cultivated over long years. Sader explained how Jad is incredibly proud that his son became a doctor.
“It’s possible to see when his eyes are filled with joy and satisfaction, as if to express: yes, I have Down syndrome, but I raised this man and did everything in my power to make him become a doctor and help others,” he said.
It’s clear for all to see that Jad loves Sader just like any other father loves his son, and Sader loves him right back. Today, Sader works as a dentist – a very respectable and high-paid job in Syria.
“I think I would’ve been much less excited about life and much less passionate with what I do if I didn’t have my special father,” Sader wrote in Mars 2021, captioning a gorgeous photo with his dad.
According to Bored Panda, who spoke with the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) about Sader’s story, it’s actually rare for men with Down syndrome to have children.
But there are some extraordinary cases out there.
“People with Down Syndrome are more alike their typical peers than they are different,” they said. “They take longer to reach milestones when they are young, but they reach them! They have feelings and emotions and they want to be treated with respect.”
Let’s hear it for Jad and his son Sader. Your father-son bond is inspiring as it is beautiful!
People with Down syndrome are humans just like the rest of us, capable of loving and caring, of fearing and being afraid. We are all children on God’s green earth, and the sooner we all accept that the better.
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