Mona Hadeed is a widow, loving mother, cancer survivor, author of the “The Healing Desert: In The Sands of Time” and a devoted grandmother to a beloved little girl, who is a special needs child. Having experienced first-hand the abject lack of adequate facilities, services and care for her granddaughter and other children with special needs locally, she founded the center in an effort to begin the process of change by offering free services, treatment and other life-empowering tools to differently-abled children here who cannot afford it otherwise.
Mrs. Rahael is a radiation physicist who has worked in cancer treatment for over ten years. She is blessed to be the mother of two beautiful children, both of whom have special needs. Her young daughter was diagnosed with Executive Function Disorder and soon after her son was also diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech. Both children have started intensive therapy and are, thankfully, doing quite well developmentally. However, Mrs. Rahael remembered all too well the anxiety, uncertainty and stress of trying to “fix” her children during those early years. She was drawn to this project because she desired to see all challenged children in Trinidad & Tobago have access to the special care they need, as well as a center that could offer them that multi-disciplinary care, while allow their anxious and stressed parents a few hours for themselves, knowing that their precious kids are in safe hands.
Mrs. Hadeed is a beloved wife, mother and proud member of this foundation to help children with cerebral palsy and their families. In her own words: “These children need our support and whatever guidance we can provide. I know how valuable it is for parents to have people they can count on when it comes to the well-being of their precious children. I hope that we can make a difference in their quality of life and also help them find some joy as they navigate their way through these difficult circumstances.”
Mrs. Clarke brings spirituality to every aspect of our organization’s operations. She was initially Mona’s prayer partner and together, they prayed about Mona’s vision of creating the St. Francis of Assisi Special Needs Center, before a single step was taken towards making it a reality. Together, with God’s guidance every step of the way, they made the decision to move forward and she remains, to this day, the person who leads the group in prayer before ANY decision is made.