Like countless young girls, Steph Low dreamed of marriage, children and a blissful family life. During her twenties, she thought she had the life she envisioned … until things took an unexpected turn with the arrival of her second child, Xavier.
Xavier was diagnosed with severe autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy. Steph recalled how different Xavier was from other kids.
“At nine months, we observed Xavier struggling to sit up, unlike other children his age. The doctor diagnosed him with developmental delay. His first word, ‘Mama’, came after a long wait, leading us to initially believe it was a speech delay until we learnt he had special needs,” Steph, 49, explained.
Then came the seizures. Xavier’s seizures began at the tender age of 18 months old, with hospital visits getting more frequent as his condition worsened over time.
