We could all benefit from a mantra to remind ourselves of who we are and what we’re capable of becoming. Dora Chhith put this parenting practice into place from the time her daughter Sadaya Paige was just eight months old. Navigating the world as a blind girl, the chant her mother has given the girl who is now 11 years old has proven vital.
Within 24 hours of her birth, Sadaya was diagnosed with septo-optic dysplasia, a rare disorder that has left her completely blind in both eyes. Dora knew she'd have to raise her daughter with intention.
Dora knew something was different about her baby almost right away.
“I was cradling her and I was just admiring her, you know, as a new mom," she recalled in an interview with Good Morning America. "And I notice that I've only been able to see the white part of Sadaya's eyes and that it just kept rolling to the back of her head,” she said.
Dora asked the medical team if her daughter could see her. It wasn’t long before doctors came back with a diagnosis.
Dora relied heavily on Sadaya’s doctors after her diagnosis.
Navigating the feelings of being a new mother in addition to raising a child with this type of disability left Dora feeling isolated.
“No one had a child that I can relate to and actually break down my true emotions to,” she said. “So I confided in the team of doctors, the specialists, the therapists that they recommended me to.”
A positive mindset and encouraging words have helped Sadaya live fully despite her condition.
There is currently no surgical option available to treat Sadaya’s condition. Instead, Sadaya visits her ophthalmologist regularly and wears prescription glasses to protect her eyes. But aside from her physical care, her mom has used the power of a positive mindset to help Sadaya move through life.
She taught her daughter a chant to help her overcome any challenges she may be facing. “Sadaya always chants, ‘I’m smart, I’m beautiful. I’m smart. I’m confident. I’m independent. And I can do anything I put my mind to,” Dora explained.
"I admire her so much," Dora said of Sadaya.
The words of encouragement Dora has instilled in her daughter since she was eight months old have paid off not only for Sadaya but for Dora herself.
“I admire her so much because she never lets her impairment stop her from doing what she enjoys to do everyday.” From the looks of her Instagram page, Sadaya enjoys singing, playing the piano and spreading awareness about the realities of life with her condition.
Sadaya also talks about her schooling.
In one of her more recent videos, Sadaya spoke about transferring from a public school to School of the Blind. In a video which features Sadaya stimming, a self stimulatory behavior that provides comfort, she explains how she felt going from one school to the other.
“Initially, I did feel nervous,” Sadaya said. After going to the school, Sadaya settled in nicely. “I felt like I was welcomed. If I ever start a brand new school of the blind, I will bring a stuffy because they always make me feel comfortable when I’m nervous or sad.”
