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Pa ge 1 2 T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 1 1, 2 01 4 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a cartersoshkosh.ca Would like to extend a warm welcome to Georgetown Market Place Carter's | OshKosh is a specialty retailer of baby and children's clothing, sleepwear and accessories at everyday value pricing throughout Canada. Discover clothing essentials for your children at Carter's | OshKosh babies and kids, the most trusted name's in baby, kids and toddler clothing. COMMENT Looking for more Dagnys There are many unsung heroes in our little community. But one has been on my mind a lot lately. I recently had the privilege of interviewing her while on assignment for a story about the Inuit Outreach Project-- a local program that collects donations of warm clothing and food and ships them to Arctic communities in need. The catalyst for the initiative goes by the name of Dagny (pronounced Downy) Langer, an 81-year-old Acton resident. This extraordinary woman doesn't want me to make a big deal about her and what's she's done over the past eight decades. Sorry Dagny, I can't help myself. It's not every day I meet someone who has given so selflessly of their time, their love, their everything and continues to do so like it's as natural as breathing air. You see, for 25 years, Dagny opened up her heart and her home to not one, not a dozen, but literally hundreds of Inuit children who needed foster care. With poverty being a daily reality for our forgotten neighbours to the north, many of the babies were arriving with only the clothing on their backs. To make the story even more re- markable, all of these children were sick. Taking them on meant mak- ing a commitment to countless hours spent in the hospital and visiting doc- tors while her faithful husband, Ken, looked after their biological children. But that didn't deter Dagny-- a woman who was clearly born with the maternal instincts equivalent to a village full of women. She had some of these children for a few days, and others for years. And some never left as the Langers adopted three Inuit children. My heart broke at the thought of the other children returning home after essentially growing up as part of the Langer family. What bittersweet good- byes those must have been. But the love of a mother can leave an indelible mark that lasts a lifetime, as was recently reaffirmed for Dagny when she visited an Inuit community for the first time in 25 years. On this trip she was reunited with some of her former foster children. Even though they're adults now with children of their own, they couldn't help but affec- tionately call her, "Mommy." Today, at the age of 81, Dagny con- tinues to give by raising her adopted daughter's son, nine-year-old Dylan, a sweet boy who has Down syndrome. I left the Langer house in awe of this petite woman with the big heart who's helped so many in need simply with the power of love. What a better place this world would be if we only had more Dagnys. By Melanie Hennessey mel_hennessey@hotmail.com The View From Here Visit ourShowroom Today Exceptional Service, Products, Prices & Warranties Serving your community for over 35 Years. Visit our website at www.atouchofclassacton.comf Kitchens Flooring Bathrooms Basements Full Home Renovations 28 Main St. N. Acton • 519-853-1190