Voices of mothers from Juárez: the experience of mothering a son or daughter with disabilities

Abstract

Mothers of sons and daughters with disabilities usually invest time, money, physical and mental energy, in addition to managing care and attention to basic needs. Although these activities are usually vital, mothers are often not recognized as people who also need care, leading them to live alone, facing impacts and challenges in various areas of their lives. Through qualitative research, sought to know: what and how have the experiences of mothering a son or daughter with some type of disability, physical limitation, condition or mental problem been in Ciudad Juárez? For this, three open interviews were carried out, the information obtained was analyzed from the thematic analysis approach. The results are presented in 5 categories to show the voices of mothers of sons and daughters with disabilities about: 1) the beginning of the experience of mothering in front medical violence, 2) loneliness, isolation and their impacts on mothers, 3) emotions and family dynamics in front of disability, 4) mothering in the presence and absence of support networks and 5) guides and care criteria proposed by and for mothers of sons and daughters with disabilities. It is concluded that loneliness and isolation are main factors for experiencing impacts and effects in various areas of life of mothers, while providing information, awareness and support on disability and mothering are care guides in the voices of mothers.