Sunday, April 2, was World Autism
Day and to help create awareness, Billionaire Femi Otedola's third child and
fashion blogger Temi Otedola shared a personal story about living with autism
with her only brother, Fewa.
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| Femi Otedola, his Wife and Children |
According to Temi who wrote the
article on her blog JTO Fashion, she and her siblings found out about their
brother’s condition in 2004. In her words; “My mum called my sisters and me
into her bedroom. With the composure only a mother can have, she told us that
our baby brother, Fewa, had ‘special needs’ while my sisters asked questions,
all I could do was think about what this would mean for me, the already
overindulged, youngest of three girls,” She said that ‘selfishness’ wore off
quickly after understanding why Fewa needed constant attention.
She revealed that taking care of
her little brother ‘entails a great deal of work’, adding that often, she would
see her mum, Nana, helping her brother with the simplest, yet ‘exhausting’
activities like brushing his teeth, feeding and getting him dressed.
She went on to say that her
brother has grown more independent; he doesn’t need sympathy and is the “most
genuine and caring person." "This is probably why I have never seen
Fewa’s autism as necessarily and totally negative, it is a unique
characteristic that adds to the complexity of the person that he is,” she
added.
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| Fewa Otedola |
Still, Temi worries about her
future, hence why she builds it around her only brother because Fewa still
needs 24 hour help. “No matter what I do, I need to build my life with Fewa in
mind. My parents won’t be around forever, and his care and well-being will
become the responsibility of me and my sisters,”
She says “It is true that
consideration for Fewa will always affect the decisions I make in my life.
Despite this, Fewa is by no means a burden. These worries do not reduce the
immense love I have for my brother who has brought so much joy and shown me the
purest form of love.
To quote The Bard, ‘Love sought is good, but
given unsought is better.’ It is Fewa’s unconditional love that has shaped me
into the woman I am today – a sister, a teacher, a carer and a best friend,”
she concluded.
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| Temi Otedola |
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