To mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD), celebrated on December 3, we’re sharing the story of Mithusa, a young girl with cerebral palsy living in poverty in Sri Lanka. With the support of her mum and ChildFund Australia, Mithusa is receiving the care and tools she needs to reach her full potential.
When she was born, Mithusa, 13, showed no emotion. “She wouldn’t smile. She wouldn’t even turn over,” says her mum, Uthakumari. By her first birthday, Mithusa was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. In their small community in Northern Sri Lanka, professional support was hard to come by.
“People advised me to abandon her. At 18 months, one doctor told me, ‘Don’t bring her back here again. She’s a lost cause’,” recalls Uthakumari.
For the first seven years of her life, Mithusa only ever left home to attend health care visits. She was isolated in bed, without the ability to sit up. She drooled constantly, suffered epileptic seizures, hit those around her, wouldn’t talk and communicated very little otherwise with her family.
But Uthakumari refused to give up on her daughter.
One day a volunteer knocked on the door and invited Mithusa and her mum to attend a health clinic supported by ChildFund. This would be the beginning of a long journey out of isolation for Mithusa.
“People advised me to abandon her. At 18 months, one doctor told me, ‘Don’t bring her back here again. She’s a lost cause’.”
At the health clinic, Mithusa was evaluated and afterwards enrolled in ChildFund’s community-based Inclusive Development project. At just seven years old, health care workers were hopeful that Mithusa would, at minimum, be successful in keeping her cerebral palsy from progressing and further reducing Mithusa’s mobility. A care plan was established with physical therapists and Uthakumari was trained on how to perform daily physical therapy at home with her daughter. Mithusa also began attending speech therapy classes.
The first milestone was reached within a year. “I began stimulating her cheek muscles, and this stopped her from constantly salivating,” says Uthakumari. “This gave me hope that other issues could be improved, too.” With daily physical therapy, Mithusa began to sit up in a chair. She gradually began to communicate more and more non-verbally until she eventually started to mouth words.
Photo: Jake Lyell.
“I always saw improvements with every bit of effort I put in,” recalls Uthakumari. “Now I’d say she’s improved about 90%.”
Today, Mithusa recognises and interacts with the people around her. She’s talkative and bubbly and is beginning to manoeuvre her own wheelchair, which was provided to her by ChildFund. “She’s constantly smiling and has joy inside her. All of this was not there before, but I knew it would happen,” says Uthakumari.
ChildFund works with schools in Northern Sri Lanka to be more inclusive of children with disabilities. As a result of great awareness and funding, Mithusa’s local school hired a special education teacher for her and other children with disabilities in the area. ChildFund also provided teacher training, resources and equipment to the school.
Mithusa started attending school two years ago and now attends five days a week. She’s continuing to improve in her speech. She is drawing and recognising letters. Her behaviour has also improved. “She’s broken at least 20 pairs of glasses before, but this pair she’s had for over six months,” says Uthakumari, adding that Mithusa now recognises the need and value of her glasses and wants to protect them.
“She will definitely walk. I know, one day, she will get up out of that chair and walk.”
Recently, Mithusa and her mother were waiting by the roadside for a public bus to transport them to the physical therapy clinic. As often happens, the approaching driver and conductor realised that allowing Mithusa and her wheelchair to board would take too much time. They sped off without them to find customers who could board more quickly. Though this happens frequently, one thing had changed. This time, Mithusa questioned her reality. “Why won’t they let me ride the bus?” she asked her mum.
Today, Mithusa is working on her next milestone. She’s beginning to stand, albeit with the help of leg braces. “She will definitely walk,” states Uthakumari. “I know, one day, she will get up out of that chair and walk.”
Show your support this International Day of Persons with Disabilities and help more children and youth like Mithusa reach their full potential by donating a wheelchair,walker – or both! Your gift will be a source of freedom, independence, resilience and health. A wheelchair or walker can help a child get to school, be with their peers, and receive an education that opens them to greater opportunities in the future. Check out our Gifts for Good catalogue and donate today.
Find out more about IDPwD and how you can get involved here.
Change lives with these charity Christmas gift ideas
Not sure what Christmas gifts for staff or colleagues you should get this holiday season? We recommend a meaningful charity Christmas gift! Here are five Gifts for Good that will bring your colleagues, staff, clients, and bosses twice the joy this holiday season.
Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s almost time to take a well-deserved break from work and enjoy sleeping in and watching your favourite holiday films. But before we can officially clock-off, there are Christmas staff parties to attend and Secret Santa or Kris Kringle gifts to consider.
Unique, last-minute gift ideas for staff and workmates
We know that gift-giving can be a stressful time, especially when you’re looking to buy a thoughtful and budget-friendly gift for someone you might not know that well. (A few ‘hellos’ in the communal kitchen won’t tell you whether Jim likes scented candles or not.) Add last-minute meetings and deadlines, and shopping for loved ones, and you might find yourself hard-pressed to find time to hit the shops or even browse online.
What do you give your work team or colleagues for Christmas?
We’ve got the perfect charity gifts to answer all your gift-giving problems this holiday season. Choose a unique present from our Gifts for Goodrange for your colleagues, clients, employees or bosses and you’ll also help make a lasting impact in the lives of children and their families around the world.
Why give a charity gift to employees and colleagues?
Our Gifts for Good are impactful, meaningful and will save you time when it comes to gift-giving. By opting for charitable gifts, you are actively participating in creating a lasting impact on the lives of others.
Each Gift for Good is a tangible expression of care, contributing to various causes and initiatives that make a difference in communities worldwide. And you don’t have to spend a lengthy amount of time choosing, waiting for the package to arrive and arranging them to reach your workmates – particularly if you work remotely.
Gifts for Good can also help with team bonding! Donating aclassroomor restocking a health station can encourage a sense of unity and purpose within your team by coming together to support a meaningful cause. Charity gifts foster a shared sense of responsibility and compassion among colleagues, strengthening the bond between team members. It’s a wonderful way to build a positive and collaborative work environment.
Here are five charitable gifts that will make a positive difference to children in need this holiday season and beyond:
The perfect gift for any animal or egg sandwich lover! For only $29, your staff Christmas gift of one dozen chickens can make a huge difference to the health, wellbeing and economic security of families and children. Raising their own chickens means that families have eggs for nutrition and extra income for other needs like their children’s education and health care. Even the chicken manure is valued as a terrific fertiliser for crops.
We may still have another month left until we welcome the New Year, but if you’re a parent or carer of school-aged kids you might already be thinking about back-to-school supplies. For many, the cost can quickly add up. But for families living in poverty, basic materials like pens, pencils and notebooks can be impossible to afford. By gifting a school supplies set, you can support a child in the classroom, giving them the chance to stay in school, and benefit from skills and knowledge that can help them break the cycle of poverty.
Do you work in IT or at a tech company? Then this is the charitable gift for you and your colleagues! Computers are the backbone – and lifeline – of many workplaces and offices. We know just how important these pieces of technology are in today’s digital world. But for students living in poverty, they are often a missing resource. The gift of tablets and computers for ChildFund-supported students allows teachers to better deliver lessons, track students’ progress and helps young learners improve their grades.
If you’re looking for a long-lasting charitable Christmas gift for an outstanding colleague, or for your hardworking team, then donating a deepwater borehole system is a great choice. Imagine your impact when you give the gift of clean, safe water that a whole school — or even an entire community — can rely upon. Your gift could be combined with others to fund drilling, construction and maintenance of a complete solar-powered, deepwater borehole system. Plus, excess water can be sold to benefit the entire community and maintain the well! This is an investment Christmas gift that could improve lives for many years to come.
Who says this gift-giving season must come to an end? Your workplace or team can start making a difference to children, families and entire communities this Christmas and into the New Year – and beyond – by setting up a monthly donation of your choosing. Your funds could be used to provide urgent humanitarian relief, or directed to long-term development projects that bring lasting, sustainable change for children in areas such as education, health and child protection. This is a thoughtful and unique charitable Christmas gift that will remind your colleagues each month of the impact they’re making to the lives of children around the world.
Council staff at the City of Canterbury Bankstown in Sydney’s south-west, have been paying it forward – for the past 20 years! Team Leader of Environmental Protection and Compliance, Paul Choueiri, says staff donate part of their pay to support children living in poverty overseas.
“It was a personal thing for all of us to give back to people who need it,” Paul explains. “We recognised how lucky we were to be in a country like Australia.”
Which gift is best for office staff?
Each of Gift for Good is a symbol of thoughtful consideration, embodying the spirit of giving, compassion, and meaningful change.
Whether your colleagues are passionate about animal welfare, education, technology, or sustainable community development, our diverse range of Gifts for Good means there’s something for everyone. The beauty lies in the versatility and adaptability of these charitable options, allowing you to cater to the varied interests and values within your office.
If you’re still stuck on which gift is best, why not send a survey to your staff to find out what their preferences and values are? Understanding their individual passions will guide you in selecting the most meaningful and impactful Gifts for Good tailored to your team’s personal values. Just remember to keep it short and sweet!
Give your staff a meaningful gift this holiday season
So, there you have it! Thoughtful, sustainable and charitable gift ideas to bring you and your co-workers joy this Christmas. By buying a Gift for Good for staff this holiday season you can help create a brighter New Year and future for all.
You can read all about these unique gifts and how they’ve improved lives on our Gifts for Good page.
Don’t forget to make your Gift for Good even more special with an ecard carrying a personalised message, or a postal card with a beautiful photo and description of your chosen gift. You can also choose a PDF card that you can print anytime.
