“Ommi u missieri ngħataw l-aħbar li jien kelli kundizzjoni bl-iktar mod trawmatiku.” Hekk stqarret magħna Rhoda Garland li llum għandha 52 sena u li ilha tgħix f’pajjiżna għal dawn l-aħħar ħmistax-il sena.
Hija għandha l-kundizzjoni magħrufa bħala spina bifida u għalkemm din qatt ma żammitha milli tagħmel dak kollu li tixtieq f’ħajjitha, ommha u missierha kienu mtlew bil-biża’ mill-professjonisti fil-mument li fih kienu ingħataw l-aħbar.
Rhoda qaltilna, “When my parents had the news broken to them, they were devastated. It was done in a very bad way, my mother was told on her own and my father found her later in floods of tears. So it was a very traumatic experience for them.”
Qalet kif dak iż-żmien mal-professjonisti kien hemm dell kbir fuq il-kundizzjoni li għandha hi u li għalhekk kienet ingħatat l-impressjoni lil ġenituri tagħha li t-tifla tagħhom qatt ma setgħet tilħaq fejn xtaqet minħabba l-kundizzjoni tagħha.
Rhoda sostniet: “At the time the prognosis for someone with spina bifida was not good so the doctors where very negative and that persisted right the way through to when I was seven or eight when they stopped saying that I was never going to achieve anything.”
Ma’ Rhoda ltqajna waqt it-tnedija tal-kors ‘Breaking the News’ li ser ikun qed joffri taħriġ lill-professjonisti dwar kif jagħtu l-aħbar lil ġenituri li t-tfal tagħhom għandhom xi forma ta’ diżabilità. Illum li Rhoda hija d-Direttur Eżekuttiv tal-Kummissjoni għad-drittijiet tal-persuni b’diżabilità u bħala persuna li qatt ma ħalliet id-diżabilità tagħha żżommha lura, hija qalet kif inizjattivi bħal dawn iwasslu sabiex iżjed persuni b’diżabilità ikunu inklużi fis-soċjetà.
Hija tenniet: “This concentration on breaking the news is very important because it is necessary to get a balance when we are talking about disability. Given the right level of support there is ample opportunity for persons with disability to be included in society to their full potential.”
