A Father's Love Conquers All

Mr. Evert Malapad and Mae Mae

An inspiring story of a father’s love and sacrifice for his daughter with autism.

Mae Mae was diagnosed with autism at age 2½ years old. Evert and Apple were shocked to hear from what was being said by the doctor. They sought a second opinion about their daughter’s condition. The verdict was the same.

Knowing only a little information on autism, both parents sought help by attending ASP’s Family Support Group in Quezon City.

Addressing Mae-Mae’s schooling and therapy needs took a toll on the family budget for the next four years. “One Christmas, we had to forgo upgrading our cellphones and buying new clothes. We were able to save some money for her therapy,” Evert shared. They resolved to make her a priority by adjusting their expenditures.

Drastic move
Mae-Mae’s progress was quite slow after assessed the doctor during another visit. To help her catch up, a tailor-made home program was recommended for her in conjunction with the therapies she is undergoing.

“How do I go from being in car repairs to teaching a special child? In my mind are specifics of car spare parts. Now, the challenge is how to teach my daughter to identify the color red.”

Evert then, was working as a senior technician and managing two auto repair shops; while supervising other 5 skilled technicians. On top of the situation, their house hold helper left after staying only with them for three months. To hire another one will take so much time and effort in training. The decision didn’t take long for Evert to make. He quit his high paying job abroad to concentrate on Mae-Mae.

“Those three months were the toughest. It was a huge struggle for me, but I knew I had to equip myself to meet her needs. I started attending ASP seminars every month. I gained techniques and strategies for Mae-Mae’s home program.“

According to Evert, the implementation constituted a lot of determination and sacrifice. Within two years, they provided her with six programs.

Life Endangered
One of the six programs for Mae-Mae was community integration. The family wanted to include Mae-Mae in their Sunday Worship. Evert decided to have a desensitization program for her. So he prepared Mae-Mae, and drove to the nearby church to make her get familiarized with the church surroundings.

“When Mae-Mae started having tantrums, I quickly carried her to the car. The incident almost cost me my life, when a subdivision security guard was about to grab his service pistol to stop me. He thought that I was a kidnapper! Whew!”

Shifting Gears
Three years went by and Mae-Mae showed a remarkable improvement in her behavior, communication and social skills. “I learned to be patient and consistent. And the whole experience of implementing the programs not only benefited me, but the whole family.”

Evert shifted his gears from car repairs to writing his masteral thesis in Special Education. He presently handles an adult special needs program in a special school in Las Piñas. On top of his new carrier, Evert Malapad serves as President of ASP Metro-South and ASP National Trustee.

“Mae-Mae became a teacher to us. If not for her, we will not be advocates of special children. We would not have become trainers to other parents of children with autism. Mae-Mae brings us to many places – to lectures, to share and bring hope to other parents. And more importantly, Mae-Mae has taught us- love conquers all.”

Happy Father’s Day!

====================

ASP honors all fathers of children with autism. Be an Angel for Autism this Father’s Day. Send us your stories. Email us at autismphils@gmail.com or visit our community site, or call us 7-903-5496.