The power of the powerless

The only disability is a bad attitude"  they say, and he serves as proof. In a world where the disabled are pitied and rarely have a chance to lie out of the ordinary Emad has struggled and fought to keep the fire of passion for literature burning within him. He has conquered the never ending doubts and overcame the unsurmountable obstacles to reach his aspirations. 

25 year old Emad grew up in a middle class family with nurturing, loving parents. Having had Down Syndrome Emad didn't have the ability to enjoy regular childhood years. While our childhood memories consist of running and playing in the sun, he remembers a constant struggle to catch up with his peers. Sadly, Emad's condition got in the way of many day to day activities which prompted him to depend on his overly protective parents for simple tasks such as eating, walking and showering. Emad clearly needed a lot of attention. After not having the financial ability to fund his stay at Saint Marc's Center of life (Centre de vie) they placed him in a home called "el talath fetyah" in a nearby church. 

Not long after that Emad faced a rather tough phase during which he had to deal with his mother's passing. At the tender age of 16 he had lost a vital part of his life. Now, it's terrible to lose a parent and I do not believe you fully comprehend the pain until experience it yourself. He lost unconditional love, the feeling of warmth and most importantly someone who put his needs above their own. His grief and distress were unfathomable. Above all of that his father was experiencing illness and depression due to his mother's passing. Emad's dependence on his parents caused him to go through an even harder time. With his mother's absence only his ill father was caring for him. Emad started losing hope on fulfilling his dreams and closed up on himself, he refused the assistance of anyone other than his father and missed his mother so profoundly. A few months later Emad learned how to deal with his pain and slowly started to open up to people once again. He was surrounded by loving people and made new friends in "Dar el Talath Fetyah" who sparked back his old barely controllable passion towards literature. They introduced him to a world he had buried and long forgotten, a world of hope. That is how he found out about his golden opportunity to expose his talent. Ana Mawhoub is a talent show for the disabled providing them with a platform on which they can demonstrate their many talents and artsy endeavors. Emad's recitation of beautiful poetry stunned many and boosted his self confidence. He is the true definition of the term "Diamond in the rough".

Based upon a true story