Eka Stephnadze

My name is Eka, and my son Luka has Down syndrome. Luka and I have grown and learnt about his condition together. In 2008, when Luka was born, we found out about his diagnosis at birth. At that time, there was no literature about Down syndrome in Georgia, and even I, with a medical education, had no idea what we were dealing with.

 

I couldn’t see a way out. The doctors at that time could not help me either—on the contrary, they frightened me, telling me that my child might not even be able to walk. All of this affected me deeply. I closed myself off, and it felt as though my world had collapsed. The lack of support and empathy completely broke me. Of course, this also affected my child, but the love I had as a mother for my child, gave me strength to fight for Luka.

 

Fortunately, with time, everything changed. Society also became more informed about Down syndrome. Training is now held, awareness grows through television and social media, and people no longer look at you strangely on the street. This rise in awareness has greatly affected not only Luka, but also led to the inclusion of more children with the same diagnosis into society.

 

It was during one of the training sessions for parents of children with disabilities that I learned about the day center, and from then on, our life changed. I learned many new things about Luka, and Luka himself became more independent, gained new skills, and now he is more active and cheerful. He loves singing and dancing.

 

Raising awareness means breaking stigmas and guaranteeing that every child, regardless of diagnosis, grows up with warmth and love, and with opportunities and support.