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When I was 12 our dog had puppies. From my point of view it was a happy accident, and I watched the birth with great interest. She had four puppies; to the human eye they looked virtually identical. To my surprise she accepted and cared for three of the four puppies. Yet there was one she refused to have anywhere near her. My brave elder brother humanely destroyed the rejected pup, while mum explained the dog’s instinct told her something was very wrong with the fourth pup. I wondered if humans were in possession of this instinct. I decided they probably were not; because friends of the family had a Down’s syndrome child. Everyone accepted and loved this child even though all were aware he was “different”. Of course at 12 I had no concept of the feelings of devastation that parents of a disabled child can feel when they first discover there is a problem.
Today marks the first of ADC’s family pages. In every other issue we will be inviting a child, young person, or family member to tell us something about their experiences of their illness, disability, or the health care system. We start with a familiar plea and, …