Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Lígia Cardoso Baldé.
Lígia gives a biographical description of her life and is then interviewed by Jerome.
Lígia talks about the stress of being a young single parent with a disabled son. She talks about how she built up her resilience over several years.
The story Lígia tells is one of battling against all the odds. Her account shows how she had to manage without much external support, even from family.
Research has long demonstrated an association between life events and stress. Lígia tells us about the various stressors that confronted her at different stages of her life journey.
All of us can make a difference in peoples’ lives if we make the effort. Lígia talks about two doctors who knew the medical implications of her son’s condition, but who also recognised her emotional needs and addressed those as well.
Lígia’s story is inspiring at so many levels. She has successfully adjusted to a different culture, to a different language and has had to establish a new social support network. Now she is not just surviving, but slowly thriving.