There are moments in life that don’t go exactly according to plan, and this was one of them. This is my story, and the experiences of my family and the birth of our son Darcy. This tiny baby introduced us into a world we never expected or knew existed. A world which can be heartbreaking but is full of amazing people who teach us valuable lessons every day without any judgement toward others.

Rather than concentrating on the negatives, we made a conscious decision to focus on the beauty of every experience. Darcy is a son and a brother, and we want the best for him, so we try our hardest to ensure he can shine to his fullest potential. I hope some of our experiences can help people to embrace the beauty of disability and difference in people. I hope it helps people to look at everyone individually and not at what they can or cannot do. People face challenges in life every day; not just people with disabilities. Some hard and some not so hard.

It is important to be kind. Darcy may have a disability, but it doesn’t define him. He has the same feelings, wants and needs as everyone else. Every child is different; every person is different. Never give up!

Every child is a blessing, and we should do whatever we can for them.

They deserve it.