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Durio said she and Bull feel blessed because the people in their lives are so loving and accepting of their son, but she can’t help but worry about the future.
Durio pointed to the new Down syndrome Barbie doll that Mattel launched less than a month ago.
“The dolls were sold out everywhere,” Durio said. “In some ways, I feel like we have a designer baby. People feel connected to him in a way that I didn’t expect or fully understand, but I’m here for it.”
welcome to the netherlands
Written by Emily Perl Kingsley, Copyright © 1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission of the author.
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – trying to help those who have not shared this unique experience understand it and imagine what it would be like. like this…
When you’re having a baby, it’s like planning a wonderful vacation—to Italy. You buy a bunch of guides and make beautiful plans. stadium. Michelangelo David. Gondolas in Venice. You might pick up some handy Italian phrases. It’s all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrived. You pack your bags and go. A few hours later, the plane landed. The stewardess came in and said, “Welcome to Holland.”
“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. I’ve dreamed of going to Italy all my life.”
But the flight plan changed. They’ve landed in Holland and you have to stay there.
What matters is that they don’t take you to a horrible, disgusting, nasty place full of plague, famine, and disease. It’s just a different place.
So you have to go out and buy new guide books. And you have to learn a whole new language. You meet a whole new group of people that you would never have met.
It’s just a different place. It’s slower paced and less flashy than Italian. But when you’re there for a while, catch your breath, and look around…you start to notice that Holland has windmills…and tulips. The Netherlands even has a Rembrandt.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy…they’re all bragging about what a great time they had there. For the rest of your life, you’ll be saying “Yeah, that’s where I’m supposed to be. That’s what I planned.”
That pain will never, ever, ever, never go away… because losing that dream is a very, very heavy loss.
But…if you spend your life mourning not going to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy…the very special, very lovely things about Holland.
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