Gospel singer Esther Wahome has, for the first time, shared the challenges and triumphs of raising a child with autism.
In an emotional interview with Lynn Ngugi, the Kuna Dawa hitmaker shared the hurdles her family faced in navigating the complexities of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Esther, who is a mother of three – a daughter and two sons, recounted the difficulties they encountered in raising her second-born son, who grappled with speech development challenges from an early age.
Despite numerous hospital visits and hopes for improvement, Esther and her family were confronted with the stark reality of her son’s condition.
“At the age of 2, he was unable to talk,” Esther recounted.
“We kept hope alive, but many visits to hospitals led to frustration.”
It was her husband who eventually returned home one day with a diagnosis that he found difficult to share – autism.
“I could see he was so distant and so worried… then he put it down and I saw autism,” Esther shared.
Esther said the diagnosis brought forth a wave of uncertainty, especially with her being pregnant with their third child.
The family grappled with questions about the future and how to best support their son.
“Diet was the hardest. My son would cry, I would cry… He can’t take anything with gluten so we had to withdraw most of everything.”
She added that the condition was tough that even house managers could not cope.
“We have to help each other,” she said.
Sleepless nights, speech therapy sessions, and the daunting prospect of an uncertain future became the new norm for Esther and her family.
They withdrew from social activities, including church, as they focused on addressing their son’s needs.
“When the son was 5, I got overwhelmed… I had no strength to sing, go to studio,” Esther confessed.
Esther recounted a moment of candid conversation with God.
“I told God, God I know, God I’ve been to so many nations… I told God you can do the same for me,” she confessed.
Apologizing to God for any blame she might have harbored, Esther pleaded for divine intervention in her son’s life.
“I pray you do and even if you don’t, I will still serve you… There is no day I will not say you are a powerful God,” she vowed.
With a resolve to trust in God’s plan, Esther ceased praying specifically for her son’s condition.
Then, when her son turned six, a call from his teacher brought forth a moment of profound joy.
“He had spoken his first word,” Esther recounted, her voice brimming with emotion. “When he said ‘Mum food,’ he started talking words, then sentences… right now the guy speaks fluent English with an American accent.”
“That is my testimony,” Esther declared.
She revealed that her son is talented in singing and that they will unveil his talent when the time is right.
By Mpasho