OBJECTIVE: To unveil the experiences of mothers of disabled children, with a view to understand the meaning of that experience. METHODS: This is a qualitative study using phenomenological approach based on Heidegger. The study subjects were five mothers with a disabled child. The interviews were performed at the women's homes, guided by the question "To you, what does it mean to have a disabled child? RESULTS: Five categories came into focus: "meeting one's actual infant," "the impact of disability," "treading a new path with one's disabled child," "experiencing maternal altruism in the care of the disabled child," and "altering one's family daily life." CONCLUSIONS: The discourses revealed emotionally moved beings experiencing a painful, sorrowful manner of being-in-the-world. Mothers find themselves unprepared to deal with the experience of having a disabled child, though perceiving the situation as an opportunity for self-encounter. Changes occurred to the couple's dynamics and family members became distant. When seeking guidance from health professionals, the mothers failed to find the necessary support.
Family relations; Disabled children; Pediatric nursing