Life inevitably presents challenges, and when a diagnosis of Down’s Syndrome is added to the mix, those challenges can become even more intricate. However, for Eisa Khan, challenges are simply part of his unstoppable journey.
Born with Down’s Syndrome, thirteen-year-old Eisa has joined a boxing club, a disability football club and makes viral TikTok videos, beating all odds to live life to the fullest.
The Bradford teenager was born with low oxygen and blocked bowels, due to which he had to be operated on soon after birth. He was in hospital for almost four months.
Image: Shabana Khan
“It was quite hard” recalls Shabana Khan, Eisa’s mother. “Firstly, it was hard to get into the hospital itself for the birth, they kept telling me you’re not ready, I was crying, I said I know there’s something wrong, I had to fight them.”
“When he was born, they kept him away for seven hours, his oxygen was low, I didn’t know what was going on. When they came back, the doctor came and said, I am sorry, there is a problem” Shabana continued.
“I asked the doctor whether my son’s alive, he said yes, but he is low on oxygen and has a blockage of bowels and he will need immediate surgery.” It was at this moment; Eisa’s mum was informed that he had Down’s Syndrome. “The way they said it to me, it was scary.”
“I didn’t get to meet him, until he got out of his surgery. I could only see him after 12 hours”.
“Then I got the news that he had a hole in the heart as well.”
Eisa also had an open-heart surgery when he was one year old.
Shabana Khan, has raised Eisa on her own since he was four years old. Being a single parent, she says it was challenging to raise a child with special needs.
“I had to do everything by myself. It was very challenging, be it education, be it getting the right support. Even now I am still fighting to get the support, which still hasn’t been forthcoming.”
“I never had any help from the Government, I have had to be on my own,” she adds.
Eisa Khan, always a cheerful kid, enrolled into the local boxing club and a football club, to meet new people and be around them.
“I had posted a tiktok video of Eisa boxing in the garden, and then everybody was like he absolutely loves it, get him in to boxing.” Shabana says that it was tough to choose a boxing gym for Eisa, as everyone charged a bomb. However, Eisa did find a local gym that was accommodative to his condition.
“We go there once a week,” she claims.
The journey into football at the Bradford City Disability club is also similar for Eisa
“He is the most confident child you will ever meet, he is funny, he is a character, he is absolutely amazing”, Shabana claims.
Eisa Khan’s TikTok journey started a couple of years back and since then he has made over 32,000 followers and has got over a million likes on the videos posted.
His TikTok videos cover all kinds of activities, from boxing, playing football, helping his mother scan products at the local supermarket, or playing on a PlayStation.
Speaking on the response and support Eisa receives on TikTok, Shabana says, “He has made so many friends and has so many people that want to meet him.”
The TikTok journey has been “very exciting” Shabana adds.
Image: Shabana Khan
“I can’t even explain to you how the support has been, for example the other day I had posted a fund-raiser with a down syndrome support service, I put on TikTok that I need support for this, and within two hours, I raised all the money I needed.”
Eisa Khan has been inspiring everyone everywhere, he has received gifts from as far away as Australia. He has attracted YouTubers who have done videos with him.
He has even received a pair of signed boxing gloves from renowned UK boxer, Jason Cunningham.
Speaking of the plan, Shabana wishes that Eisa can go forward on TikTok and become a big influencer. “He loves being on social media”, she says.
“He always says, I’m famous,” she laughs.
Shabana has a message for other parents with special kids: “Don’t hold them back, do not think that they cannot do a thing, believe me, they can. It would be amazing that if you can let them. Do not hold them back for socialising. If your child wants to talk to people and express himself, let him do so. Just do not hold them back”.
