Yesterday, one of the most popular holidays was celebrated in many countries around the world: Halloween! The Toombow Kids team hopes that you had a fun and spooky holiday and didn’t eat too many sweets! But yesterday was also a special day for Honorine, a young French girl with multiple disabilities who was celebrating her 15th birthday. A birthday that is all the more special given the impressive progress she has made over the years, and against all odds. Here is her story…
Honorine was born in France in 2007 and is the youngest of four children. Shortly after her birth, her parents Bérangère and Eric, noticed that something was wrong with their daughter. As they had other children, they knew that Honorine was not behaving normally. When they spoke with doctors about their concerns, they were told that there was nothing to be alarmed about. However, when Honorine was 7 months old, she was rushed to the hospital after a violent epileptic seizure that almost cost her her life.
Fortunately, she was fine, but following further examinations and MRIs, the doctors discovered that the infant had a rare genetic disease called lissencephaly, which in her case caused multiple mental, intellectual, visual and motor delays. Knowing that the earliest possible treatment is the best for this type of pathology, her parents created an association called “Stand up, Honorine” in March 2009 in order to raise funds for the best possible care for their daughter. In the meantime, they learned about special education methods and after seeing how effective they were with Honorine, due to their comprehensive care, the couple opened a specialized school in 2012, so other children with a disease similar to Honorine’s to benefit from these practices. So what are the fruits of this work after 10 years?
Today, Honorine is still undergoing heavy treatment for epilepsy with three different medications while having regular medical follow-up with neurologists, osteopaths, physical therapists and others. Nevertheless, she has accomplished feats that specialists would never have believed possible. Indeed, she can now move around a room out of her wheelchair with help, eat almost by herself, can say almost a hundred different words… Although a bit rebellious when she refuses to work from time to time, she is always cheerful and enjoys interacting with others. She enjoys music, water games and balloons! Honorine has also always been able to count on her brothers and sisters, they have a tight-knit family.
“We’re lucky, since she was a little girl, they’ve never treated her differently, and have always included her in the games they play. They would put her next to them, put a toy in her hands and play together. There has always been a real bond between Honorine and them.”
explained her mother with a smile.
Surrounded by her family, friends from her school (the youngest is 13 and the oldest 17) and all the volunteers of the association, Honorine can continue to fight her battle with peace of mind. Her mother, Bérangère, reminds all parents of children with disabilities of her creed.
“You must do everything possible to protect your children and give them a happy life!”
Toombow Kids wishes Honorine a very happy birthday!
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