Society never had the courage to accept Roshly’s baby brother because of his Down Syndrome.
But rather than accepting the injustice, Roshly promised to stand up for her brother in his fight for dignity.
After reading Roshly’s story, you will not only find yourself applauding the courage of this sister-brother duo, but also pray for their sibling love.
While sharing their inspiring story with HOB,
“When my baby brother came into this world, I was over the moon! I had a bucket list of all the things we’d do together. But that didn’t last for a long time.
I was very young, but I remember the doctor telling my parents that my brother wasn’t ‘normal’. He had Down Syndrome, and there was nothing we could do about it.
But for me he was still my brother, still my family. So in that moment I decided to always protect him, and give him so much love, that it made up for everything else.
It wasn’t always easy though – growing up, we’d have relatives always telling us how to make him ‘better’.
She shares when her brother was gathering the courage to face his challenges with a smile, the society only stared, rejected and abandoned him for something that wasn’t in his hands.
“Strangers would stare at us, ask us questions about him, and point fingers.
But each time I’d let them know that my brother was special, and nothing else.
I remember how when he was younger, he loved evening walks. But once, while we were walking, there was a person who kept staring at him. That made both me and my brother uncomfortable.
So I went to him, and asked him to be more considerate, and less ignorant. But I also realised that no matter how many strangers I confronted, there would always be more.
So when society stared at her brother, Roshly made sure to let them know how special her brother was. When people questioned his abilities, she celebrated his small victories.
“When my brother was in his teenage years, he wanted to learn how to swim.
But when we went to enrol him, the coach said he can’t teach him.
But I convinced the coach to at least try it out.
He agreed, and after 15 classes, we went to see him swim. And when he did, we were so impressed! The coach even said that he’d never seen a child learn so well, and so quick before!
From standing up for him in situations, and to celebrating small victories — we grew up.
And then she found someone special, who loved and accepted her brother just the way she did!
I knew that soon I’d have to get married, and leave him. But I also knew that I wouldn’t marry anyone who wouldn’t accept and love him as much I do.
I saw many boys, but even before anything else, their families would say no. Because they thought even my kids would be ‘like my brother’, and they didn’t want that. After a while, when I finally found someone, my parents and I told him about my brother.
He said we shouldn’t have to even mention it, because my brother is just like anybody else. That’s when I knew I’d found the perfect fit, not just for me, but for my brother too!
Image: HoB
Today I’m married, and I live away from home — but my husband spends more time with my brother than I do! They have a special bond, and I cherish it so much.
My brother is one of a kind, and he deserves nothing but all the love and happiness in the world.
And I’m going to make sure to help people realise that — that he may not be like any other person who you see on the street, but that’s what makes him all the more special, all the more unique, and all the more loved.”
As per the reports, Down Syndrome affects 23,000-29,000 children born in India every year.
Though the numbers are alarming, there is very little open dialogue on this topic in India. More often than not, educated people like us show a lack of empathy and support towards people struggling with Down Syndrome and their families.
At I FOR HER, we celebrate the courage of this duo and hope that our society would soon start accepting special kids with differences, rather than treating them as outcasts.
If you are one of the CHANGEMAKERS, who are attempting to make the society inclusive, do share your story with us and we would spread the word.
