The woman who left the business world and became a social activist told Antara that she recently received an honour from the highest body in Southeast Asia for disability sports, the ASEAN Para Sports Federation, to give colour to the biennial athletes with disabilities competition in this region.
Natalia is neither an athlete nor a woman with special needs who competes competitively in the Para Games. Before arriving at his current journey, there was one event that became the turning point of his life.
Natalia became a mother after her daughter Maria Monique was born into the world on July 5, 1998.
However, since her only daughter suffered from a lung infection at a young age, Natalia made every effort until she had to leave everything for her child's treatment and care at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore in 2006.
Humans try, but destiny is the right of the Creator who wants Maria Monique to die first.
"Mom, explore the world, find the less fortunate children, and give them happiness.”
That was the last message from Maria Monique to her mother.
Since then, Natalia has wanted to fulfil her daughter's biggest wish, which inspired her to establish the Maria Monique Last Wish Foundation, a foundation that helps sick and underprivileged children, on December 22, 2006.
"God gave, God also took," recalled Natalia.
Countless children around the world have been helped by Maria Monique's last message.
Natalia through her foundation has distributed aid ranging from toys, bicycles, wheelchairs to prosthetic limbs to children in Indonesia and in various parts of the world such as China, Vietnam, India, South Africa to hurricane victims in Haiti.
"My life is 24 hours for the breath of children and people with disabilities, sick and near death," said Natalia.
"Today is for Mae," he said, showing a photo of a toddler lying on a bed with a medical tube stuck in his nose.
"He needs oxygen non-stop every day and is currently on a ventilator."
The journey
During her journey, the woman who was born in Semarang, who is in her fifth year, not only devotes her time and energy to meeting the basic needs of children with special needs, but also tries to inspire them to break boundaries and achieve.The creative world and sports are her preferred approach and in 2019, Natalia successfully premiered the non-profit documentary she directed entitled Boccia.
The film records the struggles of athletes with disabilities from 10 countries, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Taipei, India, Korea, the Philippines, Japan, Korea and China who are driven by the desire to excel like normal athletes to win medals to make their country proud and become world champions.
Then at the 2022 ASEAN Para Games in Solo, Natalia translated her love for athletes with disabilities into music and singing entitled "S for E".
Short for Strifing for Equality, or fighting for equality, "S for E" became the official theme song for the Southeast Asian disability sports event which was held in July last year.
Apparently, the song received appreciation from the ASEAN Para Sport Federation, the parent organization for the paralympic movement in the Southeast Asian region.
"At that time I met Colonel Senior Wandee Tosuwan, as Secretary General of the APSF. He knew we were singing our song in Solo and was impressed," said Natalia.
Following the successful implementation of the 2022 ASEAN Para Games in Solo in sending a message of togetherness and inclusivity, APSF wants to continue its collaboration with Natalia and Maria Monique Last Wish Foundation to continue fighting for equality for persons with disabilities.
As a follow-up, APSF collaborated with Natalia to create an "anthem" for disability sports in the Southeast Asian region.
"Colonel Wandee asked me, 'do you want to make a song for ASEAN Para Sport?'," recalled Natalia.
Receiving the offer, he immediately said yes, even though previously he did not know that it would be used as an "anthem" that would be played at every sporting event under the auspices of the APSF.
Then a song called "The Greatest Love of APSF" was born.
As a songwriter, Natalia is collaborating again with a number of musicians she has involved in previous songs such as national singers Delon and Ricardo Ryo, Japanese music arranger Yukina Mebuki, and this time assisted by US singer Jahna Perricone.
Even the President of the APSF, Major General Osoth Bhavilai from Thailand, was directly involved and involved in the process of recording the "anthem".
"The creation of this APSF 'anthem' ad is the first time in history and is an important milestone in the spirit of inclusiveness for sports with disabilities," Wandee said in his official statement.
The instrumental music of "The Greatest Love of APSF" was unveiled and played during the 2023 SEA Games torch relay in Siem Reap, Cambodia in March this year, which was witnessed by Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni.
Meanwhile, the "anthem" version with the lyrics will debut at the opening ceremony of the 2023 ASEAN Para Games in June next month, besides being played at every APSF flag-honouring ceremony and the medals of the athletes at the event.
"We see the journey of athletes who fight hard for their country, so we feel like one ASEAN family to fight together," said Natalia about what inspired her to create the song.
"This is a song that gives enthusiasm and motivation to see the struggles of athletes with disabilities. We will unite in struggle and unity for the world to see the ASEAN Para Games,” she added.
Once again, Natalia never ceases to be amazed by the "magic" in her life, which has brought her to where she is today.
"This is a form of my faith. After the death of Maria Monique, there was a whisper in my heart," said Natalia who dedicated her life to people who need her help.
Through the ASEAN Para Games, which this year takes place June 3-9 in Cambodia, Natalia hopes that the stigma and negative perceptions of people with disabilities can be eliminated by showing skills and achievements, rather than their shortcomings.
This is also in line with ASEAN's way of promoting equality and inclusivity, as well as positive interactions between people with disabilities and society, helping to understand that those who live with disabilities also want to live a harmonious life without discrimination.
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