When Novina was born on October 31, 1995, I didn’t truly know what Down syndrome was. Yet, with the instincts of a mother, I felt a strange premonition or something similar without fully realizing it, and my blood pressure stayed higher than that of the other mothers who had just given birth. I kept walking back and forth to the nurses to check my blood pressure, and one of them even told me, “Ma’am, don’t be sad, your baby has started drinking milk.”.
Anita Widjayani – Novina’s mother
To be sure, Nana’s face looked slightly different from other babies, but I just didn’t understand why. After two and a half months, Dr. Ketut, a pediatrician, asked me to get a blood test done at the University of Indonesia (UI). I asked Dr. Ketut, “Is there something wrong, Doctor?” Dr. Ketut replied, “There’s nothing to worry about, just get it checked first.” But my heart fluttered anxiously. “Why would she need this so spontaneously?” I wondered. The doctor comforted me so I wouldn’t worry, saying, “Forgive me! Madam, the shape of her eyes is a bit different, and there are lines on her palms.”
After the blood test at UI was completed, my heart was filled with profound sadness. Why hadn’t I noticed any signs of a birth defect during my pregnancy and delivery that could have caused the baby to have a disability? Still, I was always comforted by the advice that if a mother provides proper nutrition to her baby as early as possible, the child will be able to attend a regular school. Because if the brain cells develop well through proper nutrition, the brain will develop well, too.
A short time later, I paid close attention to her nutrition and worked extremely hard at it. It turned out that my early efforts at providing proper nutrition were not in vain. By 13 months old, Novina was able to walk. Before 3 months, she could already lie on her stomach and lift her head, and by 7 months, she could sit up like any other normal child. However, after 3 years of growth and development, when Novina was enrolled in Tumble Tots, she still hadn’t started speaking. I promptly took her to Harapan Kita Hospital for speech therapy. It wasn’t long—less than a year of speech therapy—before Novina began to speak.
When she was nearly 4 years old and ready for school, I visited Dian Grahita school. I felt so sad seeing the children in severe conditions, using wheelchairs, and so on. My heart ached. “What kind of karma led me into the world of disabled children?” It felt as though my heart rebelled, refusing to accept it. “What curse brought me a child like this?” For a brief moment, those turbulent feelings raged in my heart, but it didn’t last long—just for a short while. I was comforted by Nana after she successfully completed her speech and motor therapy with satisfying results. I bought her cassette tapes of children’s songs, and she began to sing along, memorizing the songs from the tapes. She was also able to watch movies like Petualangan Sherina, Keong Mas, and others.
After joining ISDI (the Down Syndrome Association of Indonesia), I gained so much experience. Praise God, my heart was comforted, especially after hearing from other parents that their children had skipped a grade. At first, I didn’t understand what “skipping a grade” meant. After a friend explained that instead of moving from Kindergarten A1 to Kindergarten A2, Nana went straight to Kindergarten B, I always thanked God. Combined with the prayers I offered to Him and Nana’s own charming spirit, my heart held no regrets at all. The sadness I had felt was just a fleeting moment that had already passed.
I experienced the grace of wanting to learn everything good about life and wanting to care for others, which boosted my enthusiasm both physically and spiritually. Even though Nana is now 8 years old, I don’t feel burdened at all—especially since her older brother, Roni, and her sister, Helen, love Nana dearly. In fact, with a generous heart, I was even able to take in and raise my younger sibling’s 11-year-old adopted child. Yes! All of that is thanks to the greatness that God has given me. If every day we unite with the Almighty, surely our prayers will be heard and blessed, even as we continue to refine our household conditions toward a harmonious family. We can open our hearts and broaden our minds to share experiences with other mothers who inevitably face household challenges.
By the age of 8, her vocabulary had grown. She became responsive to her environment, communicative, and sociable at church. During Sunday school, she could sing along with the other children while adding her own dance moves, showing self-confidence. Although she still has occasional emotional outbursts, I understand and accept the nature of a child with Down syndrome, and I believe she will reach her full potential when the Holy Spirit answers our prayers. She is able to recite and has memorized the prayers she was taught—the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, and mealtime prayers—along with her favorite songs and dances. God is Almighty and always sustains His people who cry out to Him. Amen.
Novina’s Bio:
Name : M. Novina Untono (Nana)
Date of Birth: Jakarta, October 31, 1995
Siblings: 2