Children born with visible disabilities or differences don’t always receive the kindness they deserve in this world. They are often ridiculed by their peers, strangers on the street and, in the worst instances, even close family members.
But when a young girl born with excessive facial and body hair and no nostrils met the Malaysian king and queen, she was embraced warmly and called “a child from heaven.”
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The family waited for hours to meet the royal couple.
Missclyen Roland, 2, waited with her parents, Roland Jimbai and Theresa Guntin, for five hours to meet Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah and his wife, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, according to The Straits Times.
The royal couple were touring the eastern Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Missclyen and her family were in the group of hundreds of people waiting for a chance to speak to the king and his wife. Roland said the long wait with a toddler was worth it.
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The king told Roland the toddler is 'a child from heaven.'
The king and queen posed with Missclyen, cradling and hugging the child for the photo. The king even offered words of encouragement to Roland and his wife.
“The King said, ‘Take good care of this child,” Roland repeated the message. “She is a child from heaven … a blessing from God.”
Up until this meeting, Roland said he had only seen the couple on television and on social media.
Roland is still reeling from the encounter.
Roland, who works as a welder, said he’s still at a loss for words after his meeting with the couple.
Missclyen, Roland's youngest child, was diagnosed with congenital generalized hypertrichosis. The rare disease includes excessive hair growth all over the body, in both males and females, according to DermNet. The cause of the condition is unknown. Medical professionals believe congenital hypertrichosis is genetic and can be inherited or can happen after a mutation that is spontaneous.
The family has become more confident bringing their daughter out in public.
Despite her differences, Roland said his daughter is healthy and goes for regular medical checkups at Bintulu Hospital.
Although Missclyen was welcomed by royalty, the same hasn’t been the case for his family members. He said people have called her “ghost child.” As a result, Roland and his wife often avoided taking the girl in public, except for the hospital visits.
“We were so afraid of what people were going to say,” he told the New Sarawak Tribune, via The Strait Times.
But the parents have overcome their fears and concerns and recognized that people are either curious or don’t understand the toddler's condition.
