"The Church's work with people with disabilities is not new."Caring for people with disabilities: a perspective on the meaning of life.Catechesis for young people with disabilitiesAntes de escribir estas líneas le pregunté a la protagonista si me autorizaba y me dijo que sí. Lo pensó poco rato y le pareció bien. Se llama Dominga, tiene 16 años y le encanta hacer coreografías en Tik Tok, algo que su mamá veía muy lejano, porque cuando nació su hija, no existía esa red social y porque Dominga tuvo que hacer mucha terapia para caminar. “Domi,” como le dicen sus cuatro hermanos, es la única hija mujer. El embarazo de su mamá fue normal, y cuando nació Dominga miró de manera sostenida a sus padres, casi intimidándolos “¡Nos dará trabajo esta niña!” dijeron en broma mientras la familia celebraba su llegada, aunque no sabían que esa frase sería totalmente verdadera. Al cumplir un año Domi era una niña sana, pero ya había ido a más de seis especialistas. Lo que aparentemente parecía ser sinónimo de una “hija tranquila”, comenzó a preocupar a su doctora de cabecera. Comía poco, dormía mal y no cumplía con los hitos del desarrollo. La historia es larga y debo resumirla. Les hago un spoilerDominga has an intellectual disability that makes her see the world differently from her siblings and some things are harder for her to understand. There are also other aspects of daily life that are not easy for her, such as buttoning a shirt around her neck or calculating the change for bread when shopping in a grocery store.
Her mother, who is me, has also had a hard time with some things. Having a different daughter makes you explore very unsuspected places and also reformulate the movie you had armed for your life. The "accomplishments" that didn't come, the pictures you won't hang on your wall (because they are simply things that won't happen) and the questions about the future that we have had to ask ourselves in advance. There is grief, it is very healthy and even liberating to take it on. Dominga has also taught me things that are as profound as they are fun. She has a great faith and, after communion, she collects herself in a way that impresses me. She is an Olympian at asking God for things; she wanted another addition to the family and there I was having my fifth child at age 42 when I had already forgotten that Peppa Pig and life jackets for swimming existed. When I see her praying I think "What will be what he is asking for, how scary!". Her requests are also sometimes unusual, such as an iPhone 13 or that we let her have an piercing. But if we think about it, Dominga is the wisest... she treats God like a father with affection and closeness. And I hope that, as until now, holding my hand, I can continue to guide her in a world with obstacles, even if she is the one who shows me the way to see the face of Jesus with such clarity and peace.
