Toddler-Sized Woman, Who Was Given Less Than A Week To Live At Birth, Graduated College
June 12, 2019 11:10 By Fabiosa
There are cases when people abandon their babies who can be a burden for some reason. More mothers who can’t afford the expensive treatment tend to sign them off for adoption. There are those who abandon their children due to various pathologies. But there are parents who fight for their little ones to no end.
Nekhidia Harris, or, as her relatives call her, Nikki, was born with multiple developmental defects, the most severe of which is brittle bones. Doctors were sure that the girl would not survive more than a few days. The parents were even advised to abandon the seriously ill child. It was believed that she was doomed to suffer all her life. Doctors doubted that she would be able to walk on her own and hold such things as a spoon or a pencil in her tiny hands. But the Harrises did not give up. To everyone's surprise, not only did Nikki walk on her own, but also turned out to be a very intelligent child.
Her health turned out to be very weak. She has had dozens of fractures and surgeries, but it didn’t break her. Nor did the fact that she stopped growing in early childhood.
Parents loved and supported Nikki, thanks to which she was not inferior to her peers in mental development and went to school like any other child. At first, the parents were afraid that Nikki would likely be bullied because of her height, but her classmates saw her as a smart girl and an example to follow. Nikki thought it was all thanks to her father. Once, Michael advised his daughter not to lament over her physical difference, but to compensate for it with a sharp mind and ability to learn.
Nikki didn’t grow physically, but she did spiritually and mentally. By the way, she is not the only child in the family. Despite the fact that Nikki required special care, and doctors feared the birth of another child with the same developmental defects, 3 years later her younger sister was born. Kimberly was completely healthy and became one of Nikki’s best friends.
When the family left Jamaica, the Harrises tried to help the community. They gave clothes to less fortunate families and helped organize educational events. Nikki and Kimberly were only 17 and 14 years old respectively when their parents launched an international charitable foundation. Both girls quickly grew fond of the idea of helping people and worked just like other adults to support people with disabilities.
But this is not the only achievement of the cheerful girl who is still as tall as a toddler. A few months before her 25th birthday, Nikki received a Bachelor’s degree in social work. Nekhidia chose this specialty because in childhood she already decided to devote her life to helping others.
The role of parents can really not be overestimated. Raising a special needs child is so hard also because adults feel some sort of guilt. But how great is the love of those parents who learn to care and inspire such kids to defy the outdated stereotypes?