Stories
.jpg)
'The Proudest Mom in the World'
A Boy with Disabilities Becomes Hagar's First Olympian
People used to call my son crazy. Even our relatives called him names and his siblings did not care much about him. As his mother, this brought me so much pain.
Ratanak was born with an intellectual disability that makes him slow to learn. He has difficulty speaking and understanding. For many years we tried to look for a solution, but all our attempts failed. I was almost ready to give up when we heard about Hagar’s House of Smiles program for children with disabilities. Since then, our lives have never been the same.
Once he started at House of Smiles, Ratanak became brighter as days went by. Although his speech is not perfect, he started to communicate with people and understand simple sentences. He gained many new friends, and he loved being able to go to school.
And if all of these things weren’t enough, Ratanak received the highest privilege of all when he was chosen to represent Cambodia in the 2011 Special Olympics in Greece! My heart jumped with pride when I saw him win silver and bronze medals for the 100 and 200 meter dash! Out of 7000 contestants from around the world, he stood tall and proud receiving his awards.
I could not believe that my son could go places and accomplish things that even other normal children cannot do. Our neighbors and family have never looked at him the same since. They recognized Ratanak’s ability to succeed even in his disability.
Today, he is in 2nd Grade in an integrated class. He studies in the morning and works in the afternoon at a café. At work he welcomes guests and he is being trained in cooking. He does his best in trying to get along with everybody.
When other people hear Ratanak’s story, they are amazed. They never thought that a boy like him could accomplish so much. I am the proudest mom in the world knowing that I have a son like Ratanak.
Watch a video about Hagar's program for children with disabilities.
Sign Up for Hagar's Newsletter
