Mangalore: They too are God's Kids... But...?

Daijiworld Media Network

Feb 21: Every human being in this world may have to pass through one or other difficulty, some time or other. From the poorest to the richest person in this world, everyone goes through or has been going through some kind of difficult phase in life. But it is also true that in some cases human beings go through only difficulties, but no happiness.

Accepting such difficulties as if part of destiny and carrying on with one's life further is the greatness of a human being.

Daijiworld.com has never believed in mere reporting, but has been going much beyond to dig deeper to project social problems and trying to find some sort of solution or temporary relief to the people who are passing through real difficulties in life. Now it has found a pathetic but very genuine case in its recent investigative mission.

Felix and Irene D`Souza of Palimar in Mangalore diocese are in their late forties, passing through extremely difficult times, without complaint or murmur or blaming anyone.

God has blessed them with three sons, who now are 18, 16 and 14, but all the three have genetic problems. They can never get up from bed, nor can speak a word, nor walk! They rarely understand the language of others, but can quickly react to their mother's language of love and care and so does the mother understand theirs.

When the first boy Avinash born, they were shattered, but hoping for the better, Irene expected the second baby. But it was unfortunate for them that the second boy Shailesh too was born with similar problems, and  he is now 16 years old.

Although Felix and Irene find difficulty in living a decent life, they still managed to eke out their living with the sole bread-winner Felix's daily wages. They dreamt the third baby would be like any other healthy baby in the world.

During the third pregnancy Irene visited the doctor and wanted to know about the third baby too...but God's wish was different. There was no difference between the third boy and the other two. Ritesh is now 14 year old.

Doctors say this is the genetic issue

In today's world, any family with two healthy kids may find it difficult to make a decent living with a single earner's income, whereas Irene spends 24 hours a day with her three boys, sacrificing everything else. She has no other world than these children.

Though this family has been living there for years, it was only when parish priest Fr Victor D`Souza visited them for house blessing that he came to know about their hardships.

Looking at the pathetic situation, he at once decide to help this family. They were living in a small hut, without any basic amenities, below par level. It was a poorest of the poor family.

Fr Victor took the initiative to get a small, decent house built for them, and the people of Palimar and surrounding areas too helped to build this house.

In 2001, Dayan D`Souza, identifying this family, joined Fr Victor to help this family.

He initiated a joint account with Fr Victor and published articles in Konkani periodicals. They managed collect some amount, which helped them to manage to live until now.

During the initial years, all the three boys were admitted to St Agnes Special School in Mangalore. The mother lived with them. For almost a year they tried, but they did not improve. They could not imbibe any benefit of special education.

In between they underwent several kinds of medical treatment, with hopes of recovery, but nothing has helped to bring them into the normal status.

A well-known association of Udupi region even took the initiative to get them to undergo major medical treatment with many hopes. Unfortunately, things have worsened, but never improved.

Today, once again their life is in the dark, with no hopes. But as in the case of every mother, her children are the best for Irene and she treats them alike. She loves her children like any other mother loves her normal, healthy children.

Daijiworld managed to visit the place in Palimar along with Dayan D`Souza who took this mission once again with a view to helping this much-needy family.

"For me my kids are the light. I want them to live. They are grown up now, but cannot talk to others, cannot walk like others, cannot live a happy life like others....They smile at whoever comes  to visit them. They don't understand what others talk, but they try to answer...," says Irene, who has not seen any other world than living with her kids for last 18-odd years, trying hard to hide the trauma she has undergone.

The family needs funds now to carry on this life. To take care of medicines and day-to-day expenses, they surely need a good amount of money.

As the Lenten season has begun, it could be an ideal opportunity for the good-hearted who follow the Lenten faith to sacrifice something and think about the needy people around us.

Irene D`Souza has an account in Syndicate Bank.

Help can go direct to the account mentioned below:

Irene D`Souza
Account No. 2937
Syndicate Bank
Kanjarkatte Branch
Near Padubidri
Udupi district, Karnataka
PIN - 574139

Any clarification on this issue can be addressed to Dayan D`Souza + 971 50 6547235