It Takes a Village

We often hear the term "It takes a village to raise a child".  These words have never rung more true than they have in the last 7.5 months.  In the early days after Mary Cate was born I remember the doctors asking me over and over how we were doing and how we would get through this??  I remember my first response was always ...

"We have the most amazing support network known to man, and THAT is how we will get through this".  We are blessed with an abundance of friends and family, but we are also very blessed to live in one of the most supportive communities on the planet!  People often ask how our family has taken so much in and taken it in stride, and, honestly, it has been with the support of all of YOU!

From day one I knew my next mission in life would be to raise and spread awareness of Apert Syndrome.  I knew my daughter had started her life with many obstacles to overcome, so why not make it easier for her?  Why not show her off?  Why not parade her around?  Why not make her life normal?  Why not educate myself, my family, friends, community and the world?  Why not let everyone fall in love with My Mary Cate and know who she is, so that as she lives her life everyone will already know that she is Mary Cate.  She has Apert Syndrome, she does look different, but she is still a beautiful, happy and sweet little girl!  The less questions for her as she grows up the easier it will be to live her life normally.

This is my passion, my job, and my number one love.  I want to share the wealth!  I wholeheartedly believe that people are inherently good, and that ignorance comes from lack of knowledge.  From logos, to campaigns, to ice cream socials, to bake sales, to bar crawls, to snow cone stands, to "Team MC bows"-- Love is all around us, and we hope all of you are fortunate enough to feel the same!

article from a campaign called "Changing the Face of Beauty".  This was featured in Chicago Special Parent magazine's Summer 2011 edition and was recently featured on Maria Shriver's blog.

We are rare.  CCA families are few and far between, but with supporting each other and helping spread the word we will take on the world and show the world the loves of our lives!

xo

Kerry