MABLE Kaite is a mother hailing from Ndola whose world changed drastically when her daughter, Patience, began to regress in her development at the age of one and a half years.
Despite numerous doctor visits and tests, Patience’s condition remains undiagnosed.
While children progress at different rates as they grow and have different ways in which they learn, Patience is not like other children her age.
Despite being nine years old her stature is that of a three year old.
Kaite has had to sacrifice her own dreams to care for Patience full-time.
And only has one dream, to see her little girl enrolled in a special needs school.
However, finances have hindered those aspirations as she can’t afford it.
With a tear or two flowing from her eyes, sliding by her cheeks, Kaite sorrowfully recounted the early days when Patience began to change, around the tender age of one year six months.
“They didn’t find her with any disease, I would take her for under five and did everything possible to see her grow into a normal being,” she shared.
” Even up to now, I don’t know what’s wrong with her I just know she can’t do anything on her own.”
She said at first, there were no apparent signs of illness until Patience started to lose weight leaving her deeply concerned.
The mother sought help from a local clinic, but as time passed, her child’s condition remained a mystery, baffling even the most experienced doctors.
With a heavy heart, Mable embarked on a journey from one medical facility to another, hoping to find answers and a cure for her daughter.
Despite countless tests and consultations, the diagnosis remained elusive.
She stated that as her child turned two, her desperation grew and the endless hospital visits took a toll on her.
“I eventually got frustrated and stopped taking her to the hospital as I was told to wait until she was six years old,” recalled Kaite.
“But I couldn’t bear to see her suffer any longer, everytime I went to the hospital they made it worse by telling me they couldn’t find anything wrong.”
She shared that life as a mother of a special needs child has been far from easy as she had to sacrifice her own livelihood, giving up her business at the market to care for her special needs child full-time.
“The financial burden weighed heavily on my shoulders and the constant need for specialised care only added to my worries,” she lamented as her eyes brimmed with tears.
“She can’t walk, she can’t talk, I have to be with her constantly to watch over her every move.”
In a society where acceptance and understanding are often in short supply, Kaite has been longing for a glimmer of hope.
She dreams of enrolling her Patience in a special needs school, where she could receive the tailored support and education she deserves.
“I have always wanted to send her to school but I can’t afford it on my own,” she confessed.
Despite the hardships, her love for Patience remains.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, March 19 2024
