If you don’t know the name Nadiya Lewis, aka Nadiyah Chinadoll on TikTok yet, you need to check her out on the socials. She’s very shy but very vibrant and to the point.
Nadiyah was born on April 4, 2003, and her first six months was spent in the ICU of Somerset Hospital.
She was born with a murmur heart (she had three holes in her heart), hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), water on the lungs, low platelets, and because of her very rare blood type, she needed serious medical care.
Nadiyah was diagnosed with Down syndrome, and the following six years she would be treated at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
@iam_seat24 I have to post it🤣![CDATA[]]>🤣@nadiyah
Her mom, Zulfa Arendse, enrolled a then six-year-old Nadiyah into Fillia, a special educational school in Goodwood. Nadiyah has an IQ of 87, which is very high for a Downs child.
Fast forward 13 years, all grown up after being raised by her single mom in Belhar, Nadiyah is loving the spotlight on her at the moment.
A JOY TO WATCH: Nadiya Lewis, aka Nadiyah Chinadoll
She loves to sing, dance and she does all of this on TikTok, and when people request a dua, she does that for them as well.
Most times she is speaking to other parents who are raising Downs children, inspiring them to let their kids be seen and heard so they can be treated as normal as possible.
Zulfa says: “Nadiyah will soon be 21 and she is very excited for her big bash, as she calls it.
“Nadiyah has the biggest dreams and wishes and one of those is to have her favourite two singers perform for her at her birthday; Loukmaan Adams has to sing Liefling and Mujahid George has to sing Simply the Best and Never Gonna Fall In Love.
“She wants to invite her closest followers on TikTok to join her and she wants to wear a ball gown.”
GOT A LOT OF LOVE TO GIVE: Nadiya and her mother Zulfa Arendse
This young lady has the prettiest face with the most beautiful eyes which glows with happiness despite her many challenges, and Zulfa says: “Nadiyah is a confident girl who knows what she wants and I will do my best to give her everything for as long as I live.”
The mother of four, who is forced to stay at home to look after her daughter, adds: “It’s not easy but the Almighty always makes a way no matter what.”
Nadiyah, meanwhile, is ready to change the world and wants people to recognise people with Downs.
“I want the corporate world to use me and other DS children as the faces of their companies so that people can see us for who we are and treat us with dignity and respect.”
I had the best day spending some time with her, and she even serenaded me with the Luther Vandross hit, Always and Forever.
“I am a model and I want to be on the buildings, inside the shops and I want to help DS children have a voice in SA,” adds Nadiyah.
Her mom explains: “Nadiyah goes through a lot when we walk in public, other kids in the malls or on the beaches see her and poke fun at her condition, this is why Nadiyah wants to be on buildings, so that people can see more of them and accept them.”
“It wasn’t always easy for me and at first I would respond in the same ugly manner. Even on TikTok people would say she’s mad, or she’s not normal; this angered me but with experience and a lot of patience we’ve come to realise that we have to teach some people how to navigate through all of this and with the platform that TikTok gives, it makes it a little easier to reach the masses.”
It is very easy now for me to understand why people who are raising Downs children always find it easier to keep them behind locked doors.
Nadiyah will be celebrating her 21st birthday during the Ramadaan next year, on April 4, by giving away charity.
She wants to give 50 party packets to an orphanage of her choice, a pot of food to the homeless, and she wants to do it herself.
She will still have her bash after Ramadaan, on April 13 and thanks to an anonymous donor, they were able to secure the venue for her party. It is going to be a big gedoente.
Nadiyah has three brothers – Esa, 32, Raees, 29, and Fareez, 25 – who assists Zulfah when they can.
Nadiyah used to sleep with her mom on the same bed but was recently surprised by some of her followers with building material for her own room, with an en-suite nogal.
She has also signed up with an advertising agency but they did not book her for any work yet.
When we came in to snap some photos, she was like an Eveready battery putting on music to do her photoshoot.
Let’s help Nadiyah live out her dreams and aspirations by making it possible for her to be ambassador for the Downs community.
I hope to see her face on a building this year still, God willing.
