Opinion

Love's Triumph

March 04, 2008 Edition 1

It was the sort of image that would light up the day of even the most world-weary cynic: a smiling blind father reunited with his baby girl.

Our front-page photograph yesterday was of a Pretoria man who had just won a bitterly contested court action to regain custody of the 9-month-old, after social workers had taken her from him.

He had nursed his wife through her battle against cancer, doing odd jobs as a handyman. The baby was removed after her mother's funeral in November.

In touching testimony, he said: "I may be blind and I may not be rich, but I love my child with all my heart."

Assessors said he was capable of handling life.

The case underlines the fact that people with disabilities have the same human rights as the rest of us. But it shows, above all, the triumph of love.

• News
• Opinion
• Editorial
• OpEd
• Columnists
• Letters
• Lifestyle
• Entertainment
• Sport