“Embrace each challenge in your life as an opportunity for self-transformation”-Bernie S. Siegel.
Getting ready for work early one morning, I heard a loud, desperate gasp for air echoing down the hallway. I immediately dropped my toothbrush and sprinted to my bedroom, where my two-year-old lay asleep. His body was still, just as I had left him. Maybe I imagined it, I thought.
But as I turned to leave, his little eyes suddenly flew open, his tiny body shuddered, and his mouth gaped—releasing that haunting sound that made my heart stop.
After the dreadful gasp, his eyes closed again as if on a timer, and he lay motionless. I froze. Did he struggle to breathe? Panic surged through me. I ran to my mother, pleading with her to come see. At first, nothing happened. She dismissed my worry—until he did it again. And again. And again, within seconds.
“Rush him to the hospital!” she screamed. “He’s having an asthma attack!”
I scooped my baby into my arms and raced to the car. My mother shouted from behind, “I’ll pack an overnight bag and meet you there!”
The entire drive, I prayed. At the hospital, I explained what was happening, and the nurses rushed him straight to the back. He was still gasping, so they performed an emergency oxygen test. Strangely, the results came back normal—no signs of asthma. His gasps were now every eight seconds, yet even after an emergency x-ray, the doctors couldn’t explain what was wrong.
“To be honest, we’ve never seen this before,” one nurse admitted. They showed me how retractions in the chest or neck would indicate asthma, but my son’s breathing didn’t match that pattern.
Finally, the doctor concluded, “It’s just something he’s doing for comfort, given his condition of Autism.” And with that, they discharged us. I left feeling confused and helpless.
As we walked out, a nurse quietly whispered, “I think your son may have tics.”
I stopped in my tracks. “Excuse me? My child has what?”
She quickly clarified, “Not the kind found on animals, Tics Disorder—look it up, then speak with his pediatrician.” That was the first time I had ever heard of Tics Disorder.
At his follow-up appointment, the pediatrician could not catch her breath when I told her of that eventful day. She confirmed it: my son had developed Tics Disorder. She reassured me it was nothing to fear.
Why did it develop? We may never know. But Tic Disorder often co-occurs with other neurobehavioral conditions such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Since that day, my son has experienced tics daily—most often when waking, falling asleep, and even during sleep. It still startles me at night, but I’ve learned to recognize it for what it is.
What is Tics Disorder?
Tics Disorder is a neurological condition related to Tourette’s Syndrome. It affects the nervous system, causing involuntary movements or sounds that occur repeatedly. These tics can interfere with daily life and vary in type and complexity.
Types of Tics
• Motor Tics: Rapid eye blinking, shoulder shrugging, jumping, sniffing.
• Vocal Tics: Throat clearing, barking, grunting, repeating words, echolalia, swearing.
If you or someone you know experiences these symptoms, consult a healthcare provider for proper assessment and guidance.
