Four years ago, Roman, a boy, also came to the 1st grade among little freshmen with a physical disability – spina bifida. Maybe his gait betrayed a little that his legs didn’t listen at all and it’s harder in life than the rest of us, but he immediately won us over with a kind of charm of his personality. His the face glowed with happiness, great curiosity, and a passion for learning.
Today, he is a “big quarter” and manages the school – also thanks to the hard work of his parents.
For example, in mathematics, multiplication memory is often the fastest and becomes the “King mathematics “, reads well – has a general overview of the world from the encyclopedia.
Roman is very diligent and purposeful, popular in the team for his kindness. Children accept him as he is. Even in this school year they chose him for the “chairman” of the class. Maybe we help him in the little things (carrying heavier things, keeping him okay, in the locker room), but he teaches us important skills for life. Thanks to him, we learn more mindfulness, consideration, tolerance, to cope more easily with our little problems and that disabilities are part of our lives, they are one of us. We are also more aware of the value of health.
Roman, with his perseverance and strong will in overcoming problems, gives us a proper lesson to life. I will not forget the situation in the children’s park, when the children were slipping on a slide, he stood looking at her. I went to him to help him somehow slip too. When I did, she spoke to him, he said, “I’m just thinking I can do it.” And he did in a few months. he did it himself!
His tenacity is truly admirable. He manages (thanks to his parents and old people) not only teaching, but also extracurricular events such as swimming training, trips, school stays in nature, military training, they go skating with us, he is simply one of us. We no longer perceive his handicap as a disability, but as a blessing. With his personality, friendship, he opens not only our eyes, but especially our hearts.
Although I am his teacher, he teaches me. It’s a gift to me and I thank him for it!
“After all, we are not only responsible for what we do, but also for what we do not do.“
Class teacher, Daniela Gubková
Мore stories about the challenges in education and inclusion of students and children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus are coming soon in a special edition Multi-IN “The Path to Inclusion”