In a special edition of #VoicesOfAWWA and in celebration of Father’s Day, we shine a light on some extraordinary fathers. Meet Mr Ong, a positive father who juggles between being a father and an economics lecturer at a Polytechnic.
“As a father of a son with additional needs, I am grateful that there are services such as AWWA School and AWWA Special Student Care Centre that I can enrol him in. With such services, it provides a meaningful environment for my son, Joshua, to learn some self-help skills, make friends and also allows my wife and I to continue holding on to fulfilling full-time jobs to raise our family. We feel assured knowing that Joshua is in safe hands under the supervision of dedicated teachers.
In our free time, Joshua and I enjoy exercising together after dinner. We used to swim frequently, but due to the circuit breaker measures, we have replaced our swimming sessions with walks in a nearby garden. It is heartening that Joshua is happy to spend time with me, and that we share a close bond.
It is not easy caring for a child, especially one with additional needs. I think that the best thing a caregiver can do is to take good care of himself/herself. Caregiving is like running a never-ending marathon, and it is a long-term responsibility. It is not something that you can complete or survive if you don’t take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.
