Doctor Opens Up About Being Raised By A Father With Down Syndrome
An inspiring family.
Instagram A Syrian family is proving that love can conquer all after a son shared his story of being raised by a father with Down Syndrome.
There is a widely held misconception that people with Down Syndrome can't bear children. While it is true that a person with Down syndrome may have significant challenges in having a child, women who have Down Syndrome can, in fact, bear children, along with men, who in some cases, can become fathers as well, according to Global Down Syndrome Foundation.
Sader Issa, in a 2014 interview, opened up about how his father's disability did not get in the way of him being the best parent he could have imagined.
The father with Down Syndrome raised his son to become a doctor.
In an interview with Brightside, Sader Issa spoke about his upbringing, saying that as a child he was pampered and loved, just like any other child welcomed into a loving family.
Sader remembers his father, Jad, would spend time with him, whether it was wrestling, thumb wrestling, or any other kind of game. He also explained how their local community supported their family and helped out in any way they could.
Jad, who worked in a wheat mill, started putting money aside for Sader, while he was still a child, to be able to go to college and did everything in his power to support his family and their dreams.
“I think I would’ve been much less excited about life and much less passionate about what I do if I didn’t have my special father,” Sader wrote, captioning a photo with his dad.
It was Jad's determination and commitment that allowed Sader the opportunity to study and become a doctor.
With his father's support, Sader is now a dentist, which is one of the most high-paying jobs in Syria, a fact that makes his father proud.
While Sader was still studying in school, Jad would introduce new people to him by telling them “my son is a doctor with a twinkle in his eyes."
When talking about his parents' relationship, Sader told Brightside that despite them being together for decades, the love between his mother and father is still as fresh as the day they were married.
"They understand each other’s needs perfectly. They love to go on walks together and sometimes they just sit and chat away for hours," Sader said.
But it's Sader's love for his father that takes up much of the joy in his heart.
He gives all the credit for his success to his father and admits he is as proud of his dad as his dad is of him; an inspiring duo that enjoys watching movies together in their spare time!
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.