‘Everything is a struggle’ - Mom homeschools daughter with cerebral palsy

Eight years ago, Sherri-Kay Gooden gave birth to her daughter, Adrianna Gooden. Since then, there has been a whirlwind of complications. Immediately after birth, her daughter's umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, she was discoloured and almost lifeless.

After doctors resuscitated her, they found out she had critical levels of jaundice. This is a condition where there is a yellowish pigmentation of the skin, tissues and body fluids.

"She was my first, so I didn't exactly know what to expect, what a child should be doing at specific months as it pertains to milestones .... so my husband and I took her for her check-ups and we were told she's doing well and everything is perfect, until she was one. Then at two, she wasn't walking or saying anything. We took her to a paediatrician and he did some test ... after all of that, we found out she has cerebral palsy," Gooden old THE STAR.

She says that due to her daughter's condition, "everything is a struggle". And so, regular doctor visits have become their norm.

"She gets sick very easily. She's not able to wear everyday shoes or slippers like normal kids because she falls over, even in thin air. That's another financial strain, because we have to buy shoes to support her ankles that aren't cheap, knee pads and elbow pads for protection from cuts and scrapes," the May Pen, Clarendon resident explained.

Gooden has to do everything for her baby - from brushing her teeth to cleaning her after bathroom use.

"I always have to be behind her and watching her every step of the way ... people who know her say she's like taking care of three kids in one."

For Gooden, the greatest challenge is dealing with the people around her who, instead of trying to understand her, criticise everything she does.

"As her mother, that's just heartbreaking. I cried most times when close relatives call her stupid, fool and ask her, 'You nuh have sense, likkle gyal?'

After being enrolled in six different schools, Gooden was displeased. She now homeschools her eight-year-old.

"The schools promise to do what they could, but it's all just promises ... some of the teachers didn't even know she could speak. That goes to show they didn't even try to communicate with her, so how were they helping?" she expressed with concern.

"Homeschooling has its benefits as well as the negative part of it. At home, she gets one and one so I can spend more hours ensuring she understands a concept, but she lacks socialising with peers."

Dionne Gayle, education officer at the Special Education Unit, told THE STAR that it's important that parents with children with special needs seek the assistance of the unit.

The unit monitors the special-education programme for children through six areas, including visual impairedness and learning disabilities.

"My suggestion would be for her to visit our office so she can get information to find out what is out there so we can assist with placement. For a child with cerebral palsy, we need to see the level and how involved the child is," she said, noting that many people have visited the unit for assistance.