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-- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, January 20, 1987 Meet a couple of ladies who attend a mon- thly meeting of a support group for moms whose children suffer some type of handicap. That's Jan rd ' [> LAKESIDE + ELECTRONICS FULLY GROUND INSTALLED SATELLITE SYSTEMS "UNIDEN 6000 BLOCK DOWN CONVERSION RECEIVER "crystal clear satellite reception, with stereo and hand-held remote, large easy to read LED channel display -- with 7. MESH DISH ~ $1899. "9ft. MESH DISH = $1999. 10ft MESH DISH = $2199. 12ft. MESH DISH . $2499. D.1Y. PRICE with 120" SELF BURIAL CABLE & UNIDEN 6000 RECEIVER 7tt. SYSTEM $1450. 9ft. SYSTEM 10ft SYSTEM $1720. 12ft. SYSTEM ACCUATOR ARM with any system ... $599. extra $1585. $1985. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL mw 985-2652 Grisdale at left with her son Joshua, and Louise Potier with her kids Madaline and Robert. Seg story for details. Chatterbox (From page 4) © stall, adjusting the plastic and the lamps, worrying about feed, and grinning from ear to ear. ¥' Just a week old, the calves (a male and a female) will have to . be bottle fed. It's a task my Dad . is looking forward to, I'm sure. For the rest of the family, Thursday night was a novelty, checking out the new additions, 'stroking their curly heads and laughing at their antics. 'But for my Dad, Thursday night was a bit of a miracle. It was the night a lifelong dream came true. _ Joshua, a good-looking six year old, is as smart as a whip. Madaline, a precocious three year old, is a bit of a socialite, friendly to strangers and friends alike. Both children are very much lov- ed by their parents, even though they can be quite a handful and re- quire a considerable amount of care. Joshua suffers from cerebral palsy. Madaline was born with a rare form of retardation called William's Syndrome. This, however, is not necessarily a story about handicapped children. It's more about their parents, and what kinds of problems they "encounter. Louise Potier is Madaline's mom, and Jan Grisdale is Joshus's. Both women live in the Greenbank area, and both belong to a newly formed group called Support Group for Moms of Special Needs Children. "The title is only tentative," says Mrs. Potier. "It's rather long and if we can think of something better, we'll change it.' In the meantime, though, the title says it all. Formed last May, the group is a casual one, designed to allow mothers of handicapped children a chance to help one another through sharing informa- tion relating to their common problems. The group also gives emotional support, it establishes friendships, and in the future, it may be able to formally enact changes in the com- munity where necessary. in order to Support group helps local moms help the handicapped live more nor- mal lives For now, it is a touchstone for mothers who find raising a physical- ly, mentally, visually, hearing or learning disabled child more than they can bear without some kind of support. "A good deal of the time is spent just chatting over coffee," says Mrs Potier, who hosts the group of 10 members in her home on the firs: "Thursday morning of each month Talking can be the best medicine for a mother who almost always feels she is alone in raising a han- dicapped child. When a handicap is- first discovered, Mrs. Potier says. "You feel so isolated-especially in the country." Madaline was 18 months old before the Potier's finally admitted to themselves that something was wrong. . After taking her to doctor after " doctor for test upon test, she was finally diagnosed as she approach- ed her second birthday. "The first thing we felt was relief because we had a diagnosis." she says. "After, you start blaming yourself. You start blaming others I mean, you have so many expecta- tions with your first child. You think, she'll be a dancer. or a nuclear physicist, or the chairman of the board. All your expectations fall apart and you have to replace them with new ones.' (Turn to page 8) 'Buy One MA Fashions 'n YS ' Fabries || PORT PERRY Worthy 985-0129 = JANUARY = -- COME AND BRING A FRIEND -- DRESSES or PASCAL VALMY SUITS (Lower Priced or Equal Value) Many more in store bargains, too good to miss? Sale Prices in effect from Jan. 21st to Jan. 24th, 1987. iad LY GH ---------- ---- I i ---- IUDE-- - BLOUSES Reg. to $85.00 ... sue cana run En mea ae $24. 95 BLOUSES Reg. to $65.00 $15.25. FABRICS - Buy 1 Metre, Get 1 FREE = pr a ---------------- a -- mm anor Get One Free! |