Father Finishes KL Marathon With Daughter Who Has Cerebral Palsy
Being a devoted parent is never an easy job, and it only gets more challenging when you have to raise a child with disabilities.
A father in Malaysia, however, has become an inspiration to other parents like him by letting his differently-abled daughter take part in a bevvy of outdoor activities.
Recently, he garnered praise after a video of him pushing his daughter — who has cerebral palsy — across the finish line of a marathon went viral.
As it turns out, the marathon was part of a yearly family tradition to celebrate her birthday.
Man runs KL marathon while wheeling daughter with cerebral palsy
During the recent Standard Chartered Marathon in Kuala Lumpur (KL), a man named Wira Sudepja Rabu warmed the hearts of onlookers — and later netizens — when he was spotted running with his daughter.
In a TikTok video he posted, he showed himself pushing his daughter Dihan in a trolley along the streets of KL with big smiles on both their faces.
According to onscreen text, there were 40,000 participants that day taking part in both the 21km and 42km events.
The father-daughter duo donned matching jerseys, making for a wholesome sight.
Source: @wiradihan on TikTok
Dihan’s trolley made for a striking sight with flags all over it and had multiple fans attached to keep her cool.
As they approached the finish line, many spectators could be heard cheering for them.
Right before they crossed, Mr Wira decided to lift his daughter up from the trolley.
He then brisk-walked with her in his arms to make it over the finish line, making it an extra memorable moment for them both.
Source: @wiradihan on TikTok
Finally, he gave Dihan a kiss before setting her back down in the trolley.
Brought daughter for outdoor activities after condition stabilised
In an interview with Malaysian news outlet Wau Post, Mr Wira revealed that Dihan was born with cerebral palsy.
According to the USA’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke (NIH), cerebral palsy is a condition that “permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination”.
It is caused by damage to or abnormalities inside the developing brain that disrupt the brain’s ability to control movement and maintain posture and balance.
As a result, Dihan is unable to care for herself, and her condition led to frequent hospitalisations as a child.
Thankfully, her condition stabilised as she grew older, and she was able to participate in outdoor activities.
Source: @wiradihan_bikeisable on Instagram
Furthermore, such excursions make her happy. Her family observed that she would smile and laugh whenever they go running or cycling.
Family celebrate daughter’s birthday by bringing her outdoors every year
Since 2018, Mr Wira has made it a yearly tradition to bring Dihan outdoors during her birthday.
Along the way, other family members have joined in, which Mr Wira called “a great way to bond”.
In previous years, they went on hiking trips along various trails in Malaysia.
Source: @wiradihan_bikeisable on Instagram
This year, they had initially planned to take Dihan hiking in Perak.
Unfortunately, they had to put the plan on hold after she had to check in to the hospital.
After her recovery, Mr Wira decided to take her to the Standard Chartered 21km Marathon instead.
A parent’s love makes anything possible
Despite Dihan’s circumstances, she is undoubtedly blessed to have a father as doting as Mr Wira.
Kudos to him for doing such a great job, and to Dihan for persevering against the odds.
May they get to enjoy many more fun activities together in the future.
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Featured image adapted from @wiradihan on TikTok.