Foundation Seeks Support For Parents Of Children With Special Needs

Founder of Oyetty Foundation for Special Parents, Mrs. Oyetola Akande, has canvassed  support for parents and caregivers of children with special needs.

 Akande, who made the plea yesterday at the official launch of the foundation in Lagos, said parents with special needs suffer physical, mental and psychological exhaustion and in some cases, lack finances to give their children optimum care.

 She said such parents suffer from trauma and several other challenges that come with catering for their children with special needs, saying parents, caregivers also forgo and forfeit their dreams, careers, goals and aspirations to care and support these children.

 Akande stated that her foundation focused on parents of special needs children because over the years, children-oriented charity organisations and institutions mainly focused on children who are sick, disabled and/or with special needs without a lot of attention to the caregiver who are undergoing different psychological traumas.

 This, she said, motivated the move to establish a foundation that will support and care for parents of these children with special needs who are forgotten and left to deal with their problems alone.

 “As a parent and mother to a special boy with down syndrome and with a life experience of the difficulties and challenges that come with full time care for children with special needs, God laid it in my heart to start a mission that will help change the narrative and have the world recognise the sacrifice being made daily by the parents and caregivers of children with special needs and give the best care available for these amazing and selfless people the special parents,” she narrated.