They Were Never Broken

Written by Waithera Mburu,

There are stories that inform, and then there are stories that change you.

This documentary was the latter.

Featuring three incredible couples—Gisele and Edgar Maidou, Muhammad and Farah Danish, and Zaheer and Gulshan Kavarna—it offered something we don’t see nearly enough: parents speaking openly and unapologetically about raising children with autism. Not from a place of despair, but from a place of deep, enduring, soul-stretching love.

The Power of Acceptance

What struck me first was the honesty. These weren’t rehearsed, polished interviews. These were raw truths—spoken by parents who have cried through hospital corridors, sat silently through judgmental stares, and clung to hope even when systems failed them.

Each family had their own journey. Each child, their own light. But a common thread wove their stories together: acceptance.

That quiet, painful, powerful turning point where a parent stops asking “Why me?” and starts seeing the sacred in “Why not me?”

Because after acceptance, something beautiful happens. You begin to understand that this is not a detour—it’s a divine assignment. Your child is not broken. You have been entrusted—with a life, a purpose, and a calling to love in a way that reshapes your very being.

Stigma in Silence

And yet, the road is far from easy.

Many parents in the documentary spoke of fear—the stigma that creeps in at diagnosis. The silence in some homes. The whispers among friends. The unspoken question: “What will people say?”

Too many families go into hiding. Not because they lack strength, but because they’re ashamed of a truth that should never bring shame.

The reality is: society still doesn’t know how to talk about autism without labeling or

isolating. This has to change.

The Grace of a Parent

What moved me most wasn’t just the love on display—it was the grace.

Grace that surpasses all understanding.Grace to wake up every morning and choose your child again.Grace to fight the same battle every day, with little rest and even fewer answers.

“Don’t let a broken system convince you that your child is broken.”

That line echoed in my heart long after the credits rolled.

Because truly, it is the world that needs fixing—not our children.

It is our schools, our churches, our governments that must be challenged to rise. What happens beyond diagnosis? What programs, employment opportunities, or safe spiritual spaces have truly been designed for them?

If every child is fearfully and wonderfully made, why is the world not more wonderfully ready?

To the Parents—You Are Superstars

Despite the weight, despite the weariness, the parents in this documentary carried themselves with the kind of quiet heroism that can only be described as divine.

To me, they are not just caregivers:

They are superstars.

They are spiritual athletes.

They are warriors wrapped in softness.

They carry what many of us would not survive—and they carry it with love.

A Call to Community

So let this not just be a documentary we watch and weep over. Let it be a call.

A reminder that no one should walk this journey alone.

Behind every diagnosis is a family that needs more than sympathy—they need support, understanding, and real community.

That’s why we exist at Nione.To stand in the gap.To speak when others are silent.To remind parents that your child is not a mistake—your child is a masterpiece.And your story is still being written.

If you are a parent, we see you.

If you are tired, we honor you.If you’re unsure where to start, we’ll walk with you.

“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”— Matthew 18:5

This isn’t just a journey.It’s a calling.And you were made for it.