SMALL STEPS, BIG VICTORIES: INSIDE A MOTHER’S JOURNEY OF HOPE, HEALING, AND MILESTONES

By Nadia Muthoni

It was a simple gesture, yet deeply profound, a parent walking into the institute carrying a cake to celebrate her child’s milestones. To an outsider, it might have looked like just another small celebration. But for this mother, every inch of that cake symbolized a journey marked by uncertainty, resilience and ultimately, triumph.

Because when your child has struggled to do what many take for granted, even the smallest progress becomes a reason to celebrate. “Have you ever stopped to think about how measurable such joy is?” she poses thoughtfully. “When your child couldn’t walk at all, and then suddenly they can stand, even just for a moment, that joy is something you cannot put into words.”

Her son, MJ, was only two and a half years old when she first noticed something wasn’t quite right. While other children his age were exploring their world with ease, MJ struggled with basic motor skills. His right hand was particularly affected, and simple movements seemed difficult for him. At first, it was confusion. Then concern. And soon, a relentless search for answers began.“ I moved from one hospital to another,” she recalls. “I just wanted to understand what was wrong with my child. I needed someone to tell me what was happening.”

But answers didn’t come easily. Each visit left her with more questions than clarity, and the emotional toll began to weigh heavily on her. Like many parents navigating the unknown, frustration sometimes took over. “There were moments I didn’t understand him at all,” she admits candidly. “I would get angry… even punish him, because I thought maybe he just wasn’t trying hard enough. Looking back, that pain came from not knowing.”

Everything changed when she was referred to the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE). ). “ From the very first day, I felt something different” she says. “I hadn’t even started the sessions, but deep down, I knew I had found a place that would help my child. I felt hope again.”

After undergoing a comprehensive assessment, MJ began therapy, carefully structured sessions designed to support his development. Progress was gradual, but each milestone, no matter how small, felt monumental. “After just a few sessions, my baby started standing on his own,” she recalls, her voice filled with emotion. “It may not seem like much to others, but to me, it was everything.”

“When your child begins to reach these milestones, you almost forget the challenges they once had .''

Joyce Wambui Mwangi

MJ's Mother

With continued support through hydrotherapy and gym sessions, MJ’s strength and coordination began to improve. Then came the moment she had long prayed for. “He started walking,” she says, pausing as if reliving the moment. “Those tiny steps… they felt like a miracle unfolding right before my eyes. It was as if God had shown up for us in that very moment.”

In those first strides, she saw more than movement, she saw possibility, a future she had once feared might not come. “Suddenly, I could imagine him living a normal life. I saw him playing, running, doing all the things I once worried he might never do,” she says. Today, MJ continues to grow, explore, and thrive. What once felt like an impossible journey is now a story of resilience and transformation, not just for MJ, but for his mother as well. ”

“When your child begins to reach these milestones, you almost forget the challenges they once had,” she reflects. “You stop focusing on what they couldn’t do, and you start celebrating who they are becoming.” Her perspective on parenting has also shifted profoundly. “I now understand that children don’t need pressure, they need patience, love, and support,” she says. “MJ didn’t need me to be frustrated. He needed me to believe in him.”

The cake she brought that day was more than a celebration, it was a symbol of acceptance, growth, and unwavering hope.

As she looks ahead, her message to other parents facing similar challenges is clear and heartfelt. “Accept your child as they are. Support them in every way you can. And celebrate every single milestone, no matter how small it may seem. Because those small steps… they are the biggest victories.”

MJ’s journey is a powerful reminder that progress is not always measured in leaps and bounds. Sometimes, it is found in the quiet courage of standing, the determination to take a step, and the love that carries a child and a parent through it all.