Her life has been arduous and filled with despair.But Sherry Hosein's greatest dream came true last week Tuesday when her son, an only child, passed the SEA examination for his first choice, St Mary's College in Port-of-Spain.
The road to success, however, for Hosein, a single parent, seemed impossible.She was born with cerebral palsy, so her motor skills and mental ability were extremely limited. She struggled to walk and her speech, to this day, is slurred.
Hosein, bearing a petite five-foot frame, recounted the horror of being sexually abused at the hands of a relative.The torment began when she was ten and lasted for six years.During that time, Hosein said, prayers alone kept her alive and her greatest wish was to be rescued.
Just after she turned 16, that wish came true, when the police, acting on information, stormed the home in east Trinidad where Hosein lived.
The party of officers from the then Juvenile Bureau, headed by then Sgt Margaret Sampson-Browne, rescued Hosein from the clutches of her abuser.
Sampson-Browne, a former assistant police commissioner, who is currently the head of the Police Service's Victim and Witness Support Unit, clearly remembered her first encounter with Hosein.A broken spirt and a battered body was how Hosein was described her.
Moved by Hosein's ordeal, Sampson-Browne "adopted" Hosein, enrolling her in a school for physically challenged people.Describing Hosein as her "daughter" the former senior police officer said she worked tirelessly to ensure Hosein received the best medical care, and even paid some of the bills from her salary.
Just as Hosein's ability to walk improved and communication skills became sharper, she found herself pregnant and alone in her early 20s.Sampson-Browne again stepped in and helped raise Hosein's son, fondly referring to him as her "grandson."But Sampson-Browne credited most of the hard work to Hosein, saying adverse circumstances transformed Hosein into a dedicated parent with a thirst for knowledge.
"Sherry sacrificed her entire life for her son. She was never ashamed to ask for help when she experienced challenges.
"Hers is a story of survival and many people need to take a page out of her book. Her son is a wonderful human being and Sherry is indeed a survivor," Sampson-Browne said.
Hosein's hard work paid off when her son passed for his first choice.It was a day, Hosein said, she would forever cherish.
"In my dark and terrible years when I was sexually abused I survived alone through God's mercy. I worked very hard to make sure my son get an education and now I am rewarded.....I am blessed.
"People who could walk take that for granted....I have to work extra hard to do that," Hosein said.
Hosein, who had no qualms about sharing her story, including her identity, urged similar victims to rise in the face of tribulations.
"In spite of my disability God gave me a normal baby. I want to encourage every disabled parent not to look at their limit. "We have a lot of disabled people who are suffering because they are frightened but never give up on life," Hosein urged.