I Am Not Disabled; I Am THIS Abled!

Jair Hernandez lives with a tumour on the left side of his brain, which has caused epilepsy and partial paralysis in his right hand and limited mobility in his right foot. Despite these challenges, the 15-year-old is a gold medallist.

In mid-November, Jair was given a hero’s welcome by his proud peers at Mary Hill Roman Catholic School in Corozal Town. He had just returned to Belize after participating in the CODICADER Special Olympic Games in Panama that same month.

Jair did not only participate; he won. He won three gold medals in the 100, 200, and 300 meter dashes in the T 37-38 category for athletes with cerebral palsy.

His mother, Maria Hernandez, cried when she received news that he had won his first gold medal. “I felt so happy, and I started to cry. It was a great blessing. I did not want him to go because he suffers from that tumour and because of the epilepsy, and I thought about all the bad things that can happen to him there. But I said that this must have a purpose, so I let him go, and when they told me that he won, I was so excited. I cried.”

Hernandez said that Jair had difficulty walking until he was almost five years old due to the severe fever during infancy. His tumour and epilepsy were only diagnosed when he was 12 years old, after he began experiencing episodes of confusion and disorientation. “The doctor told me that they couldn’t perform the surgery because the tumour was already big. That is what caused the epilepsy. He can’t move his arm and his foot.”

An emotional Hernandez shared that she often worried about what sort of life her son would live. “As a mom, I thought about what would happen to him. What kind of future he would have, but seeing that he won, that he won three gold medals, I think that he has a lot of opportunities.”

Guillermo Pech is the principal of Mary Hill RC School. Pech explained that Jair has been a blessing to the school since he enrolled. According to Pech, Jair’s selection came after participating in a program where students were given watches to count their steps over a period of time. Based on the data, Jair, being one of the most active students at the school, was chosen for the honour. “He has been a very active and sports-oriented student in special-ed. So, he has always been an active student when it comes to those disciplines. When we got the word that he was selected to represent Belize in Panama, it was great news.”

Following the announcement, Jair’s training intensified, with more time spent running laps during physical education classes, with the support of his family and the school. Once Jair left for Panama, Pech remained in contact with his parents and the person accompanying him.

The news came in waves: Jair won his first gold medal, then a second, and finally, a third. Pech described this as an overwhelming and joyous series of events for the school.

“He got the first gold medal, and that was already, you know, huge. And then we heard he got a second, and then a third, and then, wow, that was even more, you know, great news,” Pech said.

The student body rallied behind Jair. They received updates and pictures from the event in Panama, which they shared on the school’s Facebook page. When Jair returned, the school celebrated him like a hero, organising a motorcade and a special welcome ceremony despite ongoing flooding that had caused interruptions in classes.

Jair has always been determined. Pech said that Jair is one of the few students at the school with a disability who has been integrated into the regular football team. “So our school is the first team that has given him the opportunity to actually play normal games like any other student. But now he is there winning gold; I mean, that is something that’s just a great example of, you know, what it means to, despite having obstacles, a person can achieve whatever they want. So for us, he is a great example. He is like a hero. He’s like someone that would tell us, you know, go for it, and you can do it. There’s nothing that shouldn’t be done.”

And Jair got it done. With the help of his father, Jair trained every day since being selected. He said, “I ran; I trained every day. I ran from here (Xaibe) to Calcutta every day.” That’s about 3.8 kilometres. He said it took him about 20 minutes to do so.

“I felt happy, even happier when I won three medals,” said Jair. He wants to further his education and become an engineer. He also had some advice for other children with disabilities: “To the other children like me, continue struggling; don’t give up.” For their parents to support them. We can be great.”

Jair was honoured and recognised by the Ministry of Sports with a certificate and money. The Belize Association for Persons with Diverse Abilities (BAPDA) recognised him with the Point of Light Award.

The family has faced significant financial strain, with medical expenses including doctor visits, medication, and specialised scans. They are seeking support for Jair’s ongoing medical and educational needs.