“The miracle isn’t that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage.”
One father wheeled his daughter underneath that banner. It was a deep shock when he was first told that his child was different, and would live outside of the “normal” range, however that is defined. The diagnosis doesn’t really matter. It can be autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, Fragile X, or a spinal chord injury. The emotions are the same.
How parents process those emotions are different. But I think that every parent who receives the news that they will be raising a child in a different world should see this story. It’s a little longer than most of my links, but well worth the time.
Parents of children with special needs tend to be tireless warriors. Perhaps more than any other group they explore, experiment and invent opportunities to help their children in schools, churches, and the workplace. Parents do this to bust their kids out of the limiting conventions of traditional mindsets. Their communities are better places because of their creative efforts.