RIYADH: Wasel Al-Muqrin, a 21-year-old college student, is aspiring to become a librarian, as he is fond of books. Sitting in front of a computer or in the passenger seat of a car, he looks normal. However, when talking to him or watching him move, one realizes he is not as normal as first assumed.
Al-Muqrin, a friendly young man, cannot walk on his own all the time; he needs someone to assist him. He is unable to keep his eyes focused and he has speech difficulties — he either speaks slowly or unclearly. These are symptoms of a medical condition called cerebral atrophy (CA).
CA, like cerebral palsy, affects the brain. It is best described as a scarcity of some cells in the brain that either causes the whole brain or parts of it to shrink. CA patients suffer from abnormalities in movement and posture. The disorder is often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition and communication.
Seventy-five percent of CA cases occur during pregnancy, five percent during childbirth and 15 percent after birth up to around the age of three. So far, there is no indication of occurrence of CA in adults.
Al-Muqrin has been lucky to have an understanding family that has supported him.
“I have had cerebral atrophy since birth, but I went to a regular school and am now in college. Although it is tough most of the time, with my family members around me I feel lucky,” Al-Muqrin told Arab News.
“When I was a child, I used to go to a regular school, not schools for the mentally challenged. My teachers understood my condition and I used to love going to school,” he added.
Al-Muqrin’s teachers, as well as relatives, have never complained of his behavior or him being disruptive or impolite. They all think highly of him. “I’m not being sympathetic, but he is a good companion and a good friend,” said Al-Muqrin’s uncle, Abdul Aziz Al-Zaid, who considers him his favorite camping companion. “Wasel’s parents are keen to be fair to all their children,” he said.
All family members help Al-Muqrin a lot because he is fun to be with. “Raising him up and taking care of his education to make him this ambitious and brilliant is not easy when we take into consideration some of the social misconceptions about disabilities,” said Al-Muqrin’s mother, Umm Fayyadh, a supervisor at Al-Abnaa School, a prestigious military education establishment in Riyadh.
Umm Fayyadh said she and her husband accepted the fate of having a child with such a condition, and that they have worked hard to build a good life for him. “He’s an amazing personality,” Umm Fayyadh said, adding that she is proud of her son regardless of his difficulties.
“I wish God gives Wasel reward and mercy for I cannot describe how much I am satisfied with him,” she said. “Ever since I gave birth to this child, he has never made me feel bad. He has never been disobedient. ... I really wish God helps him in every step he takes.”
At 21, Al-Muqrin believes there is a joyful life ahead of him. He is indeed lucky to have a family that is mature enough to accept fate and work hard on improving his life without making him feel different from others.
Al-Muqrin is optimistic about his bright future, something that one can rarely find in a person without a disability or disease. “I am looking forward to finish college, maybe a master’s, and get a job. I wish I can make my own small family,” Al-Muqrin said.
