Tarik was born in Tuzla and was born healthy. He cried a lot as a baby and eventually was diagnosed with torticollis, and it was corrected with physical therapy. Quickly, we realized he was not meeting his milestones. Started walking and his first word both happened at the age of 2. He still has very minimal language.

Tarik was diagnosed with Syngap1 in December of 2019 (in Barcelona). He does not suffer from epilepsy or sleep issues. Tarik does have many traits of autism but has not had a diagnosis.

Occupational and Speech Therapy have greatly helped Tarik. We have even tried using a hyperbaric chamber.

Tarik has no sense of fear, which means he requires constant supervision. He can become very upset when he is misunderstood and gets aggressive with those around him. Tarik does not like school, so we are hoping to find a better fit for him someday. As he has grown older, he has become very difficult to manage as he has aggressive outbursts. As of now it is relatively controlled with the help of medication.

He loves music and animals. Swimming and going for long walks are some of the activities he greatly enjoys. Loves watching rhyming videos! He has a good memory; he remembers people and names, as well as symbols.

In Bosnia, life is difficult, but with a sick child it is even worse. We hope to be able to somehow move to Germany, where the conditions for Tarik will be better. Tarik is the center of our world and my husband and I will devote our lives to him alone.

Best regards from beautiful Bosnia and Herzegovina. I wish all of us a lot of positive energy, strength, and health to fight through life.