Meet Maggie and Molly
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Images Captured by GingerSnaps Photography
Molly loves to play dress up, play with her babies, make
crafts, sing and dance; her sister Maggie is also a fabulous dancer and
singer.
Molly has a general diagnosis of hypotonia with an additional
diagnosis of Spastic Paraplegia, although it has yet to be
confirmed. A major frustration for her parents was the lack
of further opinions on Molly’s condition, resulting in sleepless nights waiting
for test results and not knowing whether she was living with a threatening
illness. It has been an ongoing process trying to determine
where Molly’s symptoms are stemming from.
Maggie’s diagnosis is Autistic Disorder; their reaction to
this was sadness and disbelief in the beginning. Their
parents have experienced every emotion from fear, then relief.
Sadness then gratitude. Anger then joy. The hardest
part of Maggie’s journey for her parents has been wondering what the future
holds for her. “You imagine your children’s lives and never
in a million years do you expect to have to think about saving for them because
they may not be able to support themselves.”
As their daughters overcome each individual challenge they
are faced with, Molly and Maggie’s parents are amazed at how they are each
thriving and what phenomenal little people they have become.
They love to hug each other, a tell tale sign to their mom that
everything will be okay because no matter what, they will always have each
other. Each day, Molly and Maggie surprise their parents at
what they can accomplish, giving them tremendous hope.
Advice they have to give: Never, ever blame yourself or feel
guilty; you have to learn how not to feel sorry for yourself or for your
children. They also feel that they have learned a lot about
themselves, their marriage and their relationships with their extended
family. Instead of focusing on the negative, the girls’
family choose to celebrate the fun times which for them means trips to Disney
World. “Wish it, dream it, do it!”
Story by Kristi Hall-Busque