Our Life Is Extraordinary

When their daughter was born with a disability, the Strydoms decided to fill her world with fun and adventure

- Roxanne Mooneys

WHEN the family decided they wanted to see the world, they took only four suitcases, four backpacks, a pram and a wheelchair.

Over the past three years the Strydoms have lived in six countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, America and Mauritius. They’ve crammed in as many outdoor activities as possible, such as dog-sleigh riding, basketball and ice hockey. And everyone took part, including 11-yearold Anika.

Which, when you hear of the challenges the young girl has faced, makes the story all the more inspiring.

Anika’s birth turned the lives of her parents, Tertius and Annél, upside-down. There had been no indication that their baby would have any complications but when she arrived she was soon diagnosed with various disabilities.

She had spina bifida, a condition that causes paralysis of the lower limbs, her feet were turned inward, she had hip dysplasia, fluid on the brain and a bladder dysfunction.

By the time she turned five, the little girl had had 28 surgeries.

“Doctors told us there was a significant chance she’d never walk or even sit upright and that she had brain damage, but she’s doing remarkably well,” Annél (35) tells YOU.

“She can crawl and climb, swim and ride a horse. She can’t walk but she uses a wheelchair.”

For many parents who have a child with special needs, a life of adventure and travel may seem out of the question – but not for Annél and Tertius.

They decided they wouldn’t just give their daughter a normal life, they’d give her an extraordinary life. And that’s exactly what they did.