Podcast Interview with Multiwoman &Co: Living and Loving a Child with Special Needs
I am so excited to share the conversation that we have on the podcast on “Multiwoman &Co” with host Claudia Iragan.
We have a meaningful conversation about how it feels to be parents of a disabled child in a foreign country, the challenges of navigating the life and system with barrier in language and cultures, and the joy of every milestone. We also discussed the abundant potential in the Netherlands with its rich infrastructure of supports for disabled community, however this sometimes can be difficult to be navigated due to the limited resources in English. This was the motivation why #thrivingonthedifferentlines was created, as a platform to share accessible information for (foreign) parents of disabled children in the Netherlands.
Claudia is a compassionate host of Multiwoman & Co, an inspiring podcast that cover topics about culture, identity, self-acceptance, healing, and empowerment. The interview can be accessed in https://www.claudiairagan.com/podcast/ep25-aditia-fitri/
Thank you very much Claudia for the opportunity! Keep up the good and inspiring work!
#25: THRIVING ON THE DIFFERENT LINES: LIVING AND LOVING A CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Aditia Fitri has been working as a medical doctor in Indonesia. She came to the Netherlands to pursue her master’s on genetic conditions to return to her home country. As life can take us in a different direction, serendipity gave her the chance to embrace life as a full-time mother and caregiver of her son, who has a combination of autism and a rare genetic skin disorder, called ichthyosis, a congenital disease in which the skin is coarse, dry, and scaly.
Challenges & Opportunities
Aditia tells about living as a foreign family in the Netherlands, and how she faces the challenges (without a family support system, the language barrier, learnings and the search in a whole different system of care and social work), but also the opportunities she sees in the rich infrastructure of resources and knowledge.
Despite the social system it can’t be denied, that the impact of rare diseases and special needs is huge, and often manifest as an invisible disability. Besides, she experiences the never-ending fight for help that sometimes takes a toll on her, and juggles between being a mom and being the person that she is at the core. That is why she emphasizes the need for self-care, including allowing all emotions like feelings of anger, sadness, and grief, showing vulnerability, and asking for help.
Even though life can be a marathon, Aditia’s main practice is gratitude and taking one step at a time. She also feels grateful that she and her family are living in the Netherlands where she has met many kind people to help and support her.
www.thrivingonthedifferentlines.com
As a way of giving back, she is launching www.thrivingonthedifferentlines.com, a personal website providing practical information for parents and caregivers with children with special needs, to find the best support and opportunities for growing optimally and thriving regardless of condition or situation.