"I’m not on my own”

In this episode of The Untold, we hear a truly remarkable story of a mother whose son was born with Down’s syndrome and how a chance encounter changed their lives forever.

Grace Dent follows Salma's powerful story

Salma, a mother of five from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, is approaching the final trimester of her pregnancy; however, she’s anxious about the unresolved issues surrounding her previous childbirth. Her fifth child, Hassan, was born five years earlier with the syndrome. The news came as a shock for, Salma, and because of the stigma associated with the disorder, she made the decision not to tell her in-laws and many of her family members the full truth about Hassan. Despite being a proud and loving mother who’s now open with her immediate family and the community, she remains wary about discussing him with her in-laws. However, her two close friends - who describe themselves as being “more than sisters…” to her - are encouraging Salma to be completely open and honest.

At the beginning...

Salma wasn’t tested for Down's syndrome during her earlier pregnancy with Hassan and was completely unprepared for the news. After the birth, hospital staff raised concerns about Hassan’s health.

“I had this feeling when they were doing all these tests that there’s something not quite right here...”

When doctors delivered the news to Salma, they were unsure how badly Hassan would be affected and braced her for the worst case scenarios, including that the child might suffer a complete lack of hearing and mobility. The year after the birth of Hassan proved a testing time for Salma; she felt disconnected from the community and spent much of her time in isolation before her family’s life was to take an unexpected change for the better.

A life-changing moment

Sitting in a park, enjoying some fresh air, Salma noticed her now close-friend Mariam with her son Raees, who was playing on the swings. As she watched them, her instincts told her that they shared something in common. Noticing that Mariam’s son also seemed to have Down’s syndrome, Salma summoned the courage to approach this stranger.

“I’ve found someone else; I’m not on my own!”

It was a life-changing moment. She quickly became close friends with Mariam. Subsequently, Mariam introduced her to Bilkees, who also has a child with the syndrome.

Changing a perspective

The three friends are now involved in Down’s and Special Friends, a support group which helps to raise money and spread awareness within their local community.