CONNECTOR.AE 60 CONNECTOR.AE 61 LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE A Small Word, A Big Win One of Lezel’s most moving stories from recent months wasn’t on a mountain but at home. “When Xander was little, he called me ‘Mama’. Then he stopped. For years, I didn’t hear that word. But just last month, after a rough morning, he reached for me and said ‘Mama’ again. That moment...it was everything. Something so small was our biggest win”. For Lezel’s family, even securing a place at an inclusive school has been a challenge. “We interviewed at eight schools this year alone. The moment we mention that Xander uses a special device to speak as he’s partially non-verbal, the schools who are otherwise inclusive admit that they don’t have the facilities to help our child”. A Trek That Moved Mountains In April, as part of Autism Awareness Month, BPC supported a trek to Everest Base Camp led by British adventurer Ant Middleton. The idea wasn’t just to conquer a physical peak, but to bring visibility to the emotional and logistical mountains families of children with ASD face every day. Lezel, though not formally involved with BPC, joined the trek with full heart. “Craig has always known that I wanted to do something like this, something symbolic for autism awareness.” And symbolic it was. “The trek was a physical, emotional, and mental roller-coaster. It was such a powerful metaphor for what we go through as parents. Every day is a new challenge. Every step, a reminder to keep going, not give up”. Lezel recalls one moment of clarity, gasping for air at 3,000 metres altitude, thinking she couldn’t go on. “Then I’d tell myself, if my son has to fight his way through this world every day, then I can do this today. I can keep going, one breath and one step at a time”. “I’d tell myself, if my son has to fight his way through this world every day, then I can do this today. I can keep going, one breath and one step at a time.” For Lezel, the trek to Everest was a metaphor for this kind of hope, the hope that with enough awareness, compassion and support, every child can find their voice again. BPC in Dubai has played a crucial role in Xander’s progress. “They’ve been amazing. Not just in supporting Xander’s personalised treatment, but in asking how I am, how the family is. That kind of care makes a huge difference”, Lezel notes. Centres like BPC offer therapies tailored to children with a wide range of neurological needs. But as Lezel points out, more support is still needed across the UAE. “Therapies are expensive, and very few insurance providers cover them. More needs to be done to integrate therapy into school systems, because many parents are working and can’t fit therapy sessions into their schedules”. A Call For Compassion And Change One of themost powerful parts of Lezel’smessage is about changing how society views the ‘normal’. “If we could just shift that idea of what ‘normal’ means, even slightly, it would make the world so much more inclusive. Yes, our children are different, but they shouldn’t be made to feel like they’re weird or unwelcome”. For other parents walking a similar path, Lezel reassuringly says, “You’re not alone. Our journeys may look different, but we’re in the same boat. Find a good support team. Take care of yourself as you can’t pour from an empty cup”. “If we could just shift that idea of what ‘normal’ means, even slightly, it would make the world so much more inclusive.’’
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