In this Tuesday’s edition (15) of the Medical Correspondent board, of Novo Dia, the neurosurgeon Fernando Gomes spoke about the importance of including people with disabilities, especially in the school environment, after a gesture by the president of North Macedonia drew attention around the world.
On the 7th, Stevo Pendarovski decided to take an 11-year-old girl holding hands to school in the city of Gostivar, 50 kilometers from the capital Skopje. Pendarovski wanted to show support for young Embla Ademi, who had been placed in a separate classroom from all other students because she has Down syndrome at the request of some parents.
“Inclusion is a basic principle that we must support in these cases,” said the president. According to a 2018 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), children with some type of disability in the Balkans region are regularly socially discriminated against and have more difficulty getting help and opportunities to study.
Fernando Gomes stressed that Down syndrome is not a disease, but a genetic condition characterized by the presence of three chromosomes 21 and that affects about 300,000 people in Brazil.
The disorder generates a series of physical and clinical characteristics that can be observed from birth. Generally, babies with the syndrome are less agitated, have difficulties sucking and swallowing, and difficulties supporting their head and other body members.
In childhood, the most frequent aspects are the protruding tongue – when the organ sticks out of the mouth –, up to 40% higher incidence of heart disease and shorter stature in relation to the others. “It is a situation that, from a physical point of view, requires a different look.”
“From a cognitive point of view, from an early age, from the 15th day of life, an early multiprofessional stimulation can already be started, which will impact on a better quality of life and better integration”, he highlighted.
The neurosurgeon pointed out that, in addition to clinical treatment, one of the most important aspects is raising awareness and combating prejudice. Gomes praised the attitude of the president of Macedonia and spoke of the tension of parents of children with the syndrome, who regularly question whether society is safe enough for their children.
“We depend on everyone’s empathy and understanding so that we can have a fairer society, one that is inclusive and that, above all, embraces everyone in a very respectful way”, he said.
In the emotional aspect, the doctor believes that the Pendarovski gesture brings confidence, improves the child’s self-esteem and reinforces the importance of a more inclusive behavior. “It is useless for medicine and technology to evolve if we do not evolve our feelings and emotions”, he concluded.
Source: CNN Brasil
