Parenting Paradox: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Raising Young Adult and Twins with Down Syndrome in Mauritius
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Parenting paradox, Down Syndrome and Twins, Coping strategies, Resilience, Lived experiences, Mauritius
Abstract
Aim: There is a paradox of challenges and development while raising a child with Down syndrome (DS). This research explores the lived experiences of Mauritian parents raising identical twins with Down syndrome and other youngsters in this condition. This research aims to examine the positive and negative affect, resilience, cultural dynamics and interaction of relationships between child, parent, family and community.
Method: The study employed a qualitative interpretive design which is guided by Family System Theory, by looking at relationships and structures in the family dynamics and how the family environment supported their coping efforts. Sixteen (16) parents of young adults with Down syndrome, recruited from U-Link and Down Syndrome Mauritius, participated in semi-structured interviews with purposeful sampling. Thematic analysis is employed to examine positive and negative parental experiences from essentially different layers of relationships.
Results: Initially, parents described shock, at a loss, stigma and grief at diagnosis but gradually turned into resilience with community support, peer social networks, spiritual beliefs and adaptive parenting strategies. While raising twins with DS, parent claimed an intensified caregiving demands with a resilient paradox of grief and growth but eventually their presence brought profound joy in spite of the financial strain, minimal access to inclusive services and other challenges. In a nutshell, families raising young adults with Down syndrome in Mauritius epitomize vulnerability, instability and positive resistance.
Conclusion: Parents reported enhanced family cohesion, strengthened social networks, and a growing sense of purpose, despite ongoing challenges related to stigma, access to services, and emotional fatigue. These findings call for sustained, multidimensional support systems and inclusive policies that recognize both the burdens and the transformative potential of parenting young adult with DS in resource-constrained and culturally diverse settings like Mauritius .
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