Father’s love revives son with Down syndrome

By Joyce Gathu

As is typical of 12-year-old boys, Bradley Mukaye is active and playful. He enjoys listening to music and loves dancing.

His easy going nature and dazzling smiles is a charmer to strangers,

Eric Madete gives advise on how to care for children with Down syndrome [Photo: Joyce Gathu]

Bradley, who is currently in Standard Four can neither read nor write.

But, this has not deemed his spirit

"Bradley was born about three weeks before due date and kept in an incubator for two weeks," recalls his doting father Eric Madete.

"At the time, we had no idea that he had Down syndrome," says Eric.

During conception, a baby inherits genetic information from its parents in the form of 46 chromosomes.

A mother gives 23 chromosomes and the father another 23. But when a child gets an extra chromosome to form 47 instead of 46, they develop Down syndrome.

While Bradley was in the incubator, he was diagnosed with a heart problem and he had to have an operation in six months time to save his life.

After Bradley left the incubator, he was to be re-admitted a week later, suffering from a myriad of infection including jaundice — yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Although Bradley was treated for the infections, it was the beginning of his problems.

"The paediatrician who had discovered that Bradley had a heart problem informed us that he had Down syndrome. We couldn’t understand why this was happening to us," recalls Eric.

The couple had a challenging task caring for a child with Down syndrome, but they never faltered.

"These children are always in and out of hospital. It is worse when they start going to school. Due to their low immunity levels, whatever infection is in the air they catch," explains Bradley’s father.

Aside from the numerous hospital visits, children with Down syndrome also suffer from certain degrees of intellectual disability.

"They can’t measure up to children who don’t suffer this condition," notes Eric.

The doting father says that with their support, their son is adjusting to a normal life.

"But the truth of the matter is that a child with Down syndrome suffers" says he.

He advises parent with female children living with this condition to be extra cautious.

This, he says, is because children with Down syndrome tend to be overly friendly and loving. Consequently, he warns that girls can easily be taken advantage of and abused.

He further cautions parents whose children have Down syndrome against expecting too much from them.

"We should support them and help them find a vocation. We intend to keep Bradley in school until he is about 17 years and then move him to an institution where he can be trained in a specific craft," He says.

Eric insists on parents taking these children to school, even when they are not learning much academically.

"At least, they will learn to socialise and live with other people," he says.