One of the great joys of being a parent is seeing your children grow and succeed, but what if you couldn’t see or hear?
Forty-one-year-old Torbjörn Svensson of Sweden can neither see nor hear due to a rare genetic disorder. But as a dedicated father, he works hard—and advocates for extra help—to make sure he doesn’t miss those special moments in his children’s lives.
“It’s very important for me to be involved in my children’s lives … because my son must have his father there and have my support,” he said in an interview with the Epoch Times that he was able to do with his Focus 14 braille display, which helps him communicate through tactile sign language.
Svensson has Usher Syndrome, a rare inherited condition that affects both hearing and vision, leading to partial or total hearing loss and vision impairment.
He was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome at the age of 28. Before that he worked as a truck driver, living a “free and good life” on the road. Things changed, however, when the rare condition started to take over, slowly damaging his vision and hearing.
Svensson says living a “normal” life is pretty much impossible for him, but that hasn’t stopped him from living a good life. With his two children from a previous relationship and his fiancée and her two children, he continues to make fatherhood his top priority. Naturally, one of his favorite places to support his children is on the soccer field.
In a video on Instagram, he shares what it’s like to support his child while also receiving the support he needs to make it possible.
Watch the video:
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