Sethembile Manatha from Sydenham with her son, Thobelani Siphesihle Manatha, 12, who was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at four months old. Picture: Supplied
Durban — Denial and shock were part of the mixed emotions that single mother Sethembile Manatha from Sydenham felt when her son Thobelani Siphesihle Manatha, 12 was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at four months.
She said it was hard for her to accept that her son would never see clearly, but the more she attended hospital appointments, the better she understood his condition and accepted the situation.
“Since the day of his diagnosis, my family stepped in and were eager to learn more about his condition and assist me in all ways possible. Another thing that keeps me going is God. I come from a family of Christians and we put God first, before everything,” she said.
Manatha joined Tape Aids For the Blind in 2016, a free National Audio Library which has talking book production services for all persons who have difficulty reading. She said she now works in the library, with the hope of assisting Thobelani and other people living with disabilities.
“Blind, partially handicapped, people with dyslexia and so on – Tape Aids audiobooks help a lot of our people living with disabilities,” said Manatha.
“I think because Thobelani was only four months old, adjusting for him was easy." She encouraged parents of children with disabilities to attend hospital appointments, because they have a great impact on children’s development.
“Yes, appointments are tiring and endless, but they are worth it. I would also like to encourage family members of the child living with a disability to support the parent, because their support makes life easier for both the parent and the child.”
Manatha said her aspiration for Thobelani is for him to have a bright future, although this is difficult because he does not have a braille device to use at home to do his homework (a machine blind people use to write their work).
“This daycare gave me hope when I needed it most, my son started attending Bright Eyes at the age of 2. He was taught everything like normal kids. I am grateful for them being a part of my son’s life,” she said.
Manatha said Bright Eyes Centre provides early childhood development programmes for visually impaired children as well as training for parents and caregivers of the visually impaired.
“They serve families who often cannot afford additional care and they promote natural interest and curiosity-based learning through exposure to new and vital experiences. They also have adaptation of materials and curriculum in a way that appeals and speaks to children, as well as providing early access to crucial intervention therapies when needed.”
She said she would like the government to assist people who live with disabilities with devices that they need, “for example braille devices, as they are expensive for most parents”.
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