Having an autistic child is not the end of the world--far from it. It is my hope that through this blog, at least a handful of people will get to understand that. My child is amazing, she brings us tremendous joy. We have good days & bad days, but we CHOOSE to focus on the good. Our belief is that by loving our daughter, giving her the most comfortable environment we can, and by most of all accepting her differences, she will continue to blossom--in her OWN way.

7/21/08

Remembering Katie...

Tomorrow is Katie McCarron's birthday. This loving and cherished girl would have been 5 years old. My own words simply wouldn't be adequate to celebrate Katie's life, so I shall honor her with the words of her loving Father and Grandfather. Each time I write an entry on this blog, I think of Katie. Every time someone asks me why I blog and why I am so passionate about these issues, I think of my own sweet daughter and also of Katie. So many of us have been eternally affected by this adorable little girl, taken from this world far too early.



From Katie's Grandfather, Mike McCarron on AutismVox:

I would like to say something about Katie. Some newspapers have reported that this was done to end Katie’s pain; let me assure you that “Katie was not in pain”. She was a beautiful, precious and happy little girl. Each day she was showered with love and returned that love with hugs, kisses and laughter. Katie loved music; she would fill in some of the words in children’s songs as my wife would sing along with the CD that would be playing, their own version of “karaoke” . She liked to dance, she loved to do the “hooky poky”. She loved being in among flowers and tall grass. She would say “I like grass”. She enjoyed the zoo and because of all of the drills and flashcards she could identify the animals. Which I thought was pretty amazing for such a young child. She was also the only little child in her non-autistic play group that could identify an octagon. My wife and son had a party for her the day they heard that from the teacher.

She enjoyed having her grandmother dress her in new little outfits and dresses, and I think this is important. We have four grand-daughters, my wife loves to buy them frilly little dresses. When my wife went into a store she would never ask for three normal dresses and one autistic dress. I think we need to be very sensitive to the special needs of these children but at the same time not be oblivious to the numerous typical traits that are also developing. Katie was first and foremost a little girl, she enjoyed people making a big fuss over how pretty she looked. My wife would take her to the beauty shop to have her hair trimmed. Katie enjoyed going to the mall and looking in all of the stores and windows. These are female things.

She went to special schools everyday, the staff at those schools cherished her. I can not say enough for the staff at Mariposa. They were so very much more than professional therapists, they adopted her and loved her deeply. Katie was so lucky to be with them everyday.

There is also another young lady in North Carolina who worked with Katie during non-school hours. The bond that she had with Katie was unbelievably deep. I am amazed that a single Mom working to raise a son by herself could find so much extra love. Maybe love is one of those special resources, the more you give the more is given back.

Katie loved the park, the swings, the slides and being outside. She played with her dolls and toys; she loved “teletubbies” and brought joy to all of those that had actual contact with her. Yes, she was autistic. Developmentally she was behind other children. But her small victories would create unbelievable joy for those who loved her. I can not describe the ecstasy of having her little arms around my neck or of watching her and my son roll around on the floor playing in shear happiness.

Each day I ask the Lord if I could take her place, and perhaps He could return Katie to the loving arms of my son and my wife. So far that prayer has not been granted. But in the meantime I can assure you that no one will describe her murder as “understandable” or devalue her in anyway without my personal challenge to them and the organizations they represent.

I must apologize for the length of this post, please know that I keep each of you in my prayers.

Katie's father, Paul McCarron made this public statement earlier this year:

"If the measure of a person's life could be quantified by the number of people that loved them, then Katie, in her brief 3½ years, achieved well beyond all of us," Paul McCarron said...

"I ask all parents, and especially those of children with disabilities, to always love your children and be proud of them," Paul McCarron wrote in his statement. "Cherish every moment you have with them. Love, patience and tender efforts are the best therapies."

Kev has also written ever so eloquently here, "Dear Katie."

We remember, with a smile and prayer, beautiful Katie.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Finding Purpose In Your Pain is an anthology of true testimonies of how God uses all things to work together for good.
2008 appeared to be a very difficult year for many. It seemed as though financial, marital and health problems were excessive.
Somehow through the trials many books like "The Secret" were flying of the shelves. People started to become more introspective and draw closer to God because nothing seemed to make sense.
Help for Autism Inc,Department of State #48693 and tax id #55-0668716, is a non-profit organization devoted to raising funds to provide speech and occupational therapy to autistic children. The organization is sponsoring an essay contest to compile a book of inspiration. To submit a 500 word essay or less please follow these guidelines.
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EMR said...

I can understand the underlying pain.I am sure Katie won hearts and would be remembered by one and all with much love and affection.Bless her with all my heart.

raju ahamad said...

I feel much affection for you.Nice blog.

EZBEAUTIFULSKIN

EMR said...

These are moments which we can never forget.There are children who touch our heart and remain there forever...very touching story indeed.

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