I was hiking the Eorimok Trail on Mount Hallasan in Jeju and chanced upon a woman in her 30s hiking with a teenager with Down syndrome.
Since their speed was similar to my group, we passed each other on the trail where we passed them, then they passed us and the process repeated. This gave me insight into how a child with special needs handles hiking.
This is a slow hike of 4 to 5 hours, approximately 8 km in distance and with gentle inclines. As it was the last part of the hike, I could see that the child was tired, even to the point where her legs were shaking when standing.
Throughout the process, I was faced with the dilemma of whether or not I should help the couple, especially when I knew the older female was also tired.
Thanks to my obsession with Korean drama, I understand some of their conversation. The older woman encourages the child to hike alone instead of holding her hand. She added that she is not a child anymore, the hike is easy and she can do it alone.
As the child’s guardian, I can understand that the older woman wanted to train the child to be more independent in order to live in our society.
Halfway there, the child suddenly turned to me and raised her hand. I was confused as to what she wanted and took it as a handshake. Ha-Ha. It turned out that she was afraid of crossing a rocky path and so I held her hand to guide her. When the older female saw it, she told me it wasn’t necessary and told the child it wasn’t scary and she shouldn’t bother others.
I have no experience with children with special needs and therefore did not know how to respond or help. In hindsight, maybe encouraging her would be a good thing while still giving her a chance to practice becoming independent.
According to an online article I read, 9 out of 10 babies with Down syndrome are aborted. I thought about whether or not I would abort if I ever got pregnant with a child with special needs. My answer will be that I would only keep the baby if I have the means to support him in a loving, well-supported care environment.
I firmly believe in not killing any living thing and I don’t even kill ants. As a living being, we must respect another living being. On the other hand, if I can’t afford to provide for my child and let him suffer, I have no choice but to prevent this from happening.
Think about the child who is abused, exploited or suffered needlessly, because I have no way to support the child. It would have been better not to allow the precious child to be exposed to the harsh world we live in.
I hope the child I met enjoyed her hike and is able to be more independent step by step. I would wish him the best.
Photo credit: Trevor Manternach under Creative Commons