Mothers with special children touched by treat in S'ban hotel
SINGLE mother S. Gayithiri was lost for words when she was honoured at a belated Mothers Day celebration for her role in raising her six-year-old twin girls born with special needs.
The 46-year-old veterinary assistant and nine other women who raised special needs children were treated to a sumptuous meal and celebrated at a hotel in Seremban, Negri Sembilan.
The event was organised by the Malaysian Public Service Society (MPSS).
Gayithiri said it was the first time she had celebrated Mothers Day.
'I felt truly humbled. It goes to show that there are people out there who care and appreciate mothers who raise their special needs children despite the hardships and daily challenges,' she said.
Gayithiri's twins both have autism. The older twin, Sri Theva Sena, also suffers from hemiplegia, which refers to paralysis that affects one side of the body.
Both girls were born premature at 33 weeks.
'I'm happy to have met other mothers with special needs children.
'We are able to exchange notes on so many things,' she said, adding that she also got invaluable information on schools for children with special needs.
Aznah Mohd Jani, 61, who attended the event with her 35-year-old daughter Nurul Atiqah Md Fauzi, also thanked MPSS for holding the event.
'Nurul Atiqah, the second of my three children, has Down Syndrome with hearing, vision and heart-related ailments since birth.
'Although the hospital is like a second home as she has many appointments, we are happy to be able to be here to celebrate this very special day,' said Aznah, a former teacher at a school for children with special needs.
MPSS chairman Andrew Raju said the event themed 'Mothers' Loving Touch' was to celebrate mothers for their sacrifices in raising their special children.
'Raising a child with special needs can be emotionally challenging, not to mention the other challenges such as managing the financial costs and getting the proper schools or centres for them to learn basic things.
'We are here today not only to celebrate Mothers Day, but also to recognise and appreciate the great contributions of such mothers in raising special children with love,' he said.
Andrew said these mothers were not only the primary caregivers but also teachers, nurses, protectors and true friends to their special children.
Since parents are always concerned how their special children would cope after their passing, he said the authorities should consider building a special home that could be both a safehouse and development centre for these children.
'The home can be a collaboration between NGOs, therapists, psychologists and the community to create a sustainable ecosystem of support.
'With fundings from the state and collaborations between the local authorities and community organisations, this initiative, I believe, can be realised,' said Andrew, while thanking donors for making the project a success.
MPSS women's wing bureau chief Anita Timothy urged the medical authorities to help parents with special needs children by providing them with more frequent follow-up appointments compared to between four and six months currently.
'This is important to ensure their development is not hampered.
'It is also hoped that private medical centres can help such parents by reducing the treatment cost, as insurance companies do not generally cover these children,' she said.
She added that teachers should also be given extensive training to cope with the children's emotional dispositions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
20-06-2025
- The Star
Meet the 'Python Huntress', who has more than 600 dead pythons under her belt
Siewe is a professional hunter of the invasive Burmese python in Florida. — Photos: Reuters Amy Siewe was a successful real estate agent – but her life changed after she captured her first python in Florida's Everglades in the United States. 'I just had this fascination with snakes. So when I learned that there was a python problem here in Florida... I went on a hunt, I caught a 2.75m python, and that was it. I was hooked!' she said. Within two months she had sold her business in Indiana and moved to Florida to become a python hunter. Now, with more than 600 dead pythons under her belt, she is known as the 'Python Huntress' – one of a handful of women among hundreds of men hunting the invasive Burmese python in Florida's Everglades wetland ecosystem. 'This python is about 3m long,' she says as she wrestles a snake she has just captured in the tall grass in the middle of the night. 'It's probably about three years old, and to date it's eaten about 200 of our native animals, including mammals and birds.' The snakeskins are tanned into leather and dyed, then turned into fashion accessories and other goods. Burmese pythons have been spreading through the Everglades National Park since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 destroyed a breeding facility for the pet trade, freeing some 900 snakes. Originally native to South-East Asia, the python can grow up to 5.5m long and has a voracious appetite, consuming the local wildlife, including mammals, birds and even alligators. The Everglades is a unique subtropical ecosystem, with the largest continuous mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. It is home to a vast array of unique species, including the endangered Florida panther, the American alligator and the American crocodile. But it provides no natural predators to the Burmese python, allowing the population of the invasive species to balloon. Scientists have noted dramatic declines in raccoons, opossums, bobcats, and rabbits in the region. 'There's an estimated 500,000 pythons out there,' Siewe said. Siewe and her boyfriend Dave Roberts measuring a python they caught in Ochopee, Florida. The pythons, which are hunted by night, cannot legally be transported alive, so they are killed on site after being captured and measured. Once home, Siewe skins the dead snakes, and then has the skins professionally tanned into leather to be made into purses, wallets, watch bands and other goods. It takes an average of 12 hours to catch one. 'So it's not that effective, right,' she admits. 'We're always going to have pythons in Florida. What we're trying to do is figure out how to decrease their numbers. Hunting right now is the most effective tool that we have.' – Reuters
The Star
02-06-2025
- The Star
Mothers with special children touched by treat in S'ban hotel
Andrew (right) and Anita (left) celebrating the mothers with special children. SINGLE mother S. Gayithiri was lost for words when she was honoured at a belated Mothers Day celebration for her role in raising her six-year-old twin girls born with special needs. The 46-year-old veterinary assistant and nine other women who raised special needs children were treated to a sumptuous meal and celebrated at a hotel in Seremban, Negri Sembilan. The event was organised by the Malaysian Public Service Society (MPSS). Gayithiri said it was the first time she had celebrated Mothers Day. 'I felt truly humbled. It goes to show that there are people out there who care and appreciate mothers who raise their special needs children despite the hardships and daily challenges,' she said. Gayithiri's twins both have autism. The older twin, Sri Theva Sena, also suffers from hemiplegia, which refers to paralysis that affects one side of the body. Both girls were born premature at 33 weeks. 'I'm happy to have met other mothers with special needs children. 'We are able to exchange notes on so many things,' she said, adding that she also got invaluable information on schools for children with special needs. Aznah Mohd Jani, 61, who attended the event with her 35-year-old daughter Nurul Atiqah Md Fauzi, also thanked MPSS for holding the event. 'Nurul Atiqah, the second of my three children, has Down Syndrome with hearing, vision and heart-related ailments since birth. 'Although the hospital is like a second home as she has many appointments, we are happy to be able to be here to celebrate this very special day,' said Aznah, a former teacher at a school for children with special needs. MPSS chairman Andrew Raju said the event themed 'Mothers' Loving Touch' was to celebrate mothers for their sacrifices in raising their special children. 'Raising a child with special needs can be emotionally challenging, not to mention the other challenges such as managing the financial costs and getting the proper schools or centres for them to learn basic things. 'We are here today not only to celebrate Mothers Day, but also to recognise and appreciate the great contributions of such mothers in raising special children with love,' he said. Andrew said these mothers were not only the primary caregivers but also teachers, nurses, protectors and true friends to their special children. Since parents are always concerned how their special children would cope after their passing, he said the authorities should consider building a special home that could be both a safehouse and development centre for these children. 'The home can be a collaboration between NGOs, therapists, psychologists and the community to create a sustainable ecosystem of support. 'With fundings from the state and collaborations between the local authorities and community organisations, this initiative, I believe, can be realised,' said Andrew, while thanking donors for making the project a success. MPSS women's wing bureau chief Anita Timothy urged the medical authorities to help parents with special needs children by providing them with more frequent follow-up appointments compared to between four and six months currently. 'This is important to ensure their development is not hampered. 'It is also hoped that private medical centres can help such parents by reducing the treatment cost, as insurance companies do not generally cover these children,' she said. She added that teachers should also be given extensive training to cope with the children's emotional dispositions.
The Star
17-05-2025
- The Star
When living in peace is the hardest
IT has been a week of days. We had Mothers Day last Sunday, followed by Wesak Day, Nurses Day and Teachers Day. All were celebrated – some with love and others with respect and compassion. Yesterday also marked another important day in the international calendar. And this is probably the single hardest day to observe for most human beings.
