Podcast: A mother's journey of raising a disabled child

Candy Chauke opens up about her daughter's journey with hydrocephalus, also known as water on the brain, shedding light on the challenges, triumphs, and the importance of embracing the journey with acceptance and hope

Motherhood is a journey filled with countless moments, big and small, and sometimes – heartache. Candy Chauke, whose daughter was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, shares her daughter’s journey living with this condition.

Often called “water on the brain”, hydrocephalus can cause babies and young children’s heads to swell to make room for excess cerebrospinal fluid.

In this episode, Chauke shares her story of navigating the medical world, advocating for her daughter’s needs, and finding joy and hope throughout their journey.

“Hydrocephalus as the doctors explained it to me, it is a condition that has to do with the brain. My daughter’s brain is not fully developed, so where the brain had to develop, water filled that space, so her left brain is not fully developed.”

Accepting and embracing the journey

“During her infant stages, her head was growing, and we thought it was the norm. The nurse suspected hydrocephalus. She was around one year and 8 months old when the doctor confirmed that she had hydrocephalus. My daughter is 13 and now in grade 8. She did well in her primary school years, achieving awards as well with this condition.”

Chauke speaks about the difficulty of blaming oneself and not understanding but says she has accepted and learned to embrace the journey.

“In life as a human being, you’re going to be upset, you’re going to blame yourself, and you’re going to ask yourself, what did I not do right when I was pregnant? You question a lot of things, but at the end of the day, I had to accept that God gave me a special child, and I had to embrace the blessing.”

She advises parents not to just view the negatives of having a child with a disability but says there can be positive aspects if they trust God in everything and are willing to learn.

“When a doctor says your child has a condition, do research, ask questions, and don’t just accept without knowledge; you will put yourself in the worst place. God cannot give you a gift that will be too difficult for you. Seeing them do something new is a blessing. As a parent, never say why me because you will never see the positive in it. Embrace the child, learn about the condition, and be proud of that child.”

In this conversation, Chauke also discusses:

The emotions experienced after receiving her daughter’s diagnosis.
The challenges she has faced and continues to face as a parent of a child with hydrocephalus.
Her daughter’s milestones.