Tomas, Rapolas and Motiejus

“I learned that I would be a dad on the phone because I was away at a basketball camp. Before announcing this Daiva told me to sit on a bed instead of a wheelchair because when I found out I would fall out of the wheelchair. When the “Robbers” (as I call the twins Rapolas and Motiejus) were born, I didn’t know what to do with myself, I wanted to scream from the rooftops, and share this news with family and friends. That special feeling lasts to this day, it’s incredible. With this event, everything changes very quickly, starting with the daily routine, habits, and getting to know yourself anew. Needs and desires shift radically – it turns out that I, personally, do not need that many things, and for the “Robbers” I want to give as many opportunities as possible.

I often feel proud of them, but of course, it imprints on my mind more when strangers point out that they’re friendly and polite. When they were younger, about 4-5 years old, they wanted to become “military doctors” so they could heal me and others who are in pain.

The hardest thing for me as a dad is my “wheelchair situation”. Due to the infrastructure and the mobility of the wheelchair, I cannot realise all my dreams and the dad duties. But constantly working on yourself and trying to be a better dad every day is just as difficult.”