My Life Story Name: Stacey Joanne Foster. Date of birth: 16th July 1983. Time of birth: 15.50pm. Length: 57cms. Weight: 7lb 6ozs(3.340kg) Head circ: 33cms. Pregnancy: Normal. Delivery: Normal. A brief summery As we looked at our newly labelled handicapped daughter aged 3, we couldn't understand what had gone wrong with our beautiful little girl, Stacey. The child we wanted so much and whom we loved more than words could ever say had, it seemed, changed almost over night. Our once normal baby could no longer walk and talk and we were totally devastated. The future looked bleak, devastating beyond belief for Stacey but also for us. We where thrust into a whole new world of fear and resentment. A new role as parents of a disabled child, things like that only happen to other people don't they? We didn't want this new role; we wanted to be a normal family and wanted our normal life back. We didn't want to have to provide 24 hours 7 day a week care to someone who would be totally dependent on us for everything for the rest of her life. We didn't want to learn how to become a teacher, nurse and physiotherapist. A feeling as strong as bereavement overwhelmed us, as we realised none of our dreams for Stacey's future would come true. No career, no husband, no children. The pain was unbelievable as reality struck like a bolt of lightening. It was scary very scary. A tentative diagnosis of Rett Syndrome was made when Stacey was about 3 and we read everything we could find on the subject and gradually acceptance slowly crept in. We finally came to terms with our new career and set out on a journey, a journey of learning and discovery. We felt privileged and honoured to be Stacey's parents. She didn't demand material things, just lots of love and attention, which we gave with great enthusiasm and passion. The feeling of love we felt for her was so intense that it seemed to overwhelm us at times and we could truly feel the aches and pains she was experiencing. By the age of 5 things were great again. Stacey was happy and always laughing. She had a wicked sense of humour and really brought the sunshine back into our lives. Please continue to read Stacey's web site, it may give you an insight into the up's and down's families like ours experience on a daily basis. Page 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

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