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They told me he would not smile or walk. Now he’s married

The Israeli disability charity which supports married couples

January 17, 2019 16:56
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ByRosa Doherty, rosa doherty tel aviv

6 min read

Like any Jewish mother, Orit Matan hoped that her newborn son would grow up to be happy, eventually meet someone he loved, and get married.

But when Maor was born, doctors told her that dream was highly unlikely. In his early years, Maor showed signs of slow development. He would cry continuously, and nothing Mrs Matan did to soothe him seemed to help.

Mrs Matan and her husband, who live in Tel Aviv, struggled to find out from doctors what was wrong but, when he was four years old, Maor was diagnosed with autism.

For Mrs Matan, the diagnosis was both a relief and a devastating blow.