Perfect Father's Day beckons for a special dad

Jeffrey Bewsey never thought he would become a stay-at-home father living in Hong Kong. Nor did the 51-year-old Briton ever imagine he would become the main care provider for a child with special needs.

'When I first saw Fei Fei in the adoption centre, to be honest, I was in sheer terror,' Bewsey said. 'I thought, what on earth have I got myself into? Can I do this?'

Bewsey and his wife moved to Hong Kong four years ago after Victoria, 47, was offered the job of principal at a Tsing Yi kindergarten. Because Jeffrey was on a dependant's visa, he could not look for work. He had run his own home-decorating business in Britain.

The couple, who had no children, soon realised that with their less hectic schedule, they could follow through on their long-held hope of adopting a child.

'When the adoption agency asked us if we would be willing to adopt a child with Down's syndrome, we thought carefully about whether we could provide her with everything she needs,' Victoria said.

As a schoolteacher, Victoria had experience working with children with special needs, and knew that children with Down's syndrome require extra patience. 'But once we made the decision, we never looked back,' she said.