In a special edition of #VoicesOfAWWA and in celebration of Father’s Day , we shine a light on some extraordinary fathers. Meet Mr Clarence Choo, whose love and devotion for his son, Kashton, has prompted him to put most things on the backburner, including his career, to focus on his child’s well-being, growth, and development above all else.
“My previous job at a bank lacked the flexibility in my schedule which prompted my job switch to a private hire driver when my son, Kashton enrolled in AWWA Early Intervention Centre. I wanted to be able to attend the intervention sessions with my wife, and this current job gives me the flexibility to spend more time with my family.
Being involved in my child’s early intervention sessions has been eye-opening. Every milestone is a huge one for me. When Kashton was two, he had difficulties walking and talking, and could only verbalise the ‘ah’ sound. Over the years, I have seen him make great improvements. As he can’t pronounce certain words and alphabets, his words will sound like gibberish to the general public. However, through our daily interactions, my wife and I can now fully understand him through what we call the ‘Kasthon’ language. It is a special bond and language within our family.
My biggest hope for Kashton would be for him to be independent, to be able to walk, talk and to cope with his everyday activities like showering and eating. As a father, my wish is that society will have less stigma on persons with additional needs.
Kashton has always been my biggest inspiration because of his courage and perseverance. There was once he had a high fever and was suffering from fits. Even as he was wheeled into the resuscitation room with tubes all over his body, he was very brave and did not shed a single tear.
I would like to encourage all parents out there to focus on the strengths of our child. Sometimes, our child might not be progressing as fast as other children but be positive! Our children can be our inspiration too!”