Our beautiful only daughter, Samantha was born on June 4th 1993 with Tetrasomy 18p Syndrome and she became an angel on December 3, 2006.
It Matters to this One..
As I walked along the seashore, this young boy greeted me.
He was tossing stranded starfish back to the deep blue sea.
I said, “Tell me why you bother, why you waste your time this way.
There’s a million stranded starfish, does it matter anyway?”
And he said, “It matters to this one. It deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one, I can’t save them all I know.
But it matters to this one, I’ll return it to the sea.
It matters to this one, and it matters to me.”
I walked into the classroom, The teacher greeted me.
She was helping Johnny study, he was struggling I could see.
I said, “Tell me why you bother, why waste your time this way.
Johnny’s only one of millions, does it matter anyway?’
And she said, “It matters to this one, he deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one, I can’t save them all I know.
But it matters to this one, I’ll help him be what he can be.
It matters to this one, and it matters to me.
– Author Unknown
By Mommy: Saturday, December 12, 2009
Samantha leaves behind a legacy of hope for all children born with developmental differences.
One of the changes I was able to see implemented in the Province of Alberta, Canada – and I hope to see incorporated across the Country/Nation – stems from personal experience which has plagued other vulnerable children like my daughter:
Samantha’s Law was established to differentiate between families receiving government supports for medical/ developmental services and the child intervention model. Family-Centred Care practice to prevent children with disability being needlessly alienated from loving homes in effort to access necessary medical supports.