Father's emotional letter to his daughter with Down syndrome on her wedding day | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Thursday 3 September 2015

Father's emotional letter to his daughter with Down syndrome on her wedding day

A loving father wrote a touching tribute to his daughter with Down syndrome on her wedding day, praising her for her achievements and wishing her a long and happy life with her husband-to-be. 

While blushing bride Jillian was upstairs getting ready to say 'I do' to her love of 10 years, her father Paul Daugherty, 57, a sports columnist for the Cincinnati Enquirer, was writing the 25-year-old a beautiful letter in which he detailed how he used to cry over his fear that she wouldn't be accepted by her peers, a fear, he added, that has gone unfounded. 
 'In two hours, you will take the walk of a lifetime, a stroll made more memorable by what you’ve achieved to get to this day,' he wrote in the letter published by The Mighty. 'I don’t know what the odds are of a woman born with Down syndrome marrying the love of her life. I only know you’ve beaten them.'
Jillian, who works at the Northern Kentucky University athletic department married her longtime boyfriend Ryan Mavriplis on June 27 at an outdoor ceremony in front of 160 guests. But two hours before Paul gave her away, the doting dad was watching her get ready from the floor below, while committing his happy thoughts about the day to paper. 

'I am outside, beneath the window, staring up,' he explained. 'We live for moments such as these, when hopes and dreams intersect at a sweet spot in time. When everything we’ve always imagined arrives and assumes a perfect clarity. Bliss is possible. I know this now, standing beneath that window.
'I have everything and nothing to tell you,' the dad continued. 
Paul, who wrote An Uncomplicated Life, a memoir about raising Jillian, explained that he never worried about her achieving academically because he knew he and his wife would make that happen, but he admitted that he once feared she would struggle to find friends.
'What we couldn’t do was make other kids like you. Accept you, befriend you, stand with you in the vital social arena,' he said. 'We thought, "What’s a kid’s life, if it isn’t filled with sleepovers and birthday parties and dates to the prom?"'
Paul recalled how he 'cried deep inside' when she was 12-years-old and told him that she didn't have any friends. 
But he went on to say that he shouldn't have worried because she is a 'natural when it comes to socializing', noting that she was on the junior varsity dance team in high school and spent four years in college classes - continuously making friends along the way.
Paul also noted that Jillian has done everything that others told her she would never do - including get married. 
Jillian met Ryan nearly eleven years ago on a soccer field. Ryan's father coached a soccer league for youths with disabilities. It was after soccer practice that Ryan asked Jillian to a homecoming dance. 
'A decade ago, when a young man walked to our door wearing a suit and bearing a corsage made of cymbidium orchids said, “I’m here to take your daughter to the homecoming, sir," every fear I ever had about your life being incomplete vanished,' Paul recalled.
'Now, you and Ryan are taking a different walk together. It’s a new challenge, but it’s no more daunting for you than anyone else,' he added. 'Given who you are, it might be less so. Happiness comes easily to you. As does your ability to make happiness for others.
'I see you now. The prep work has been done, the door swings open. My little girl, all in white, crossing the threshold of yet another conquered dream,' Paul continued. 'I stand breathless and transfixed, utterly in the moment. “You look beautiful" is the best I can do.'
'Jillian thanks me. “I’ll always be your little girl" is what she says then.'
'“Yes, you will," I manage. Time to go, I say. We have a walk to make.'
After Jillian and Ryan said 'I do', they headed to Hilton Head Island for a week long honeymoon. In case of an emergency, they were joined by their four parents, who stayed in a condo half a mile down the beach, so they could have their privacy.  

'Jillian and Ryan have lived together for nearly two years, so self-sufficiency isn’t an issue,' Paul explained on his blog. All we had to do was set them up: Rent them an umbrella and two chairs, tell them about the hotel’s courtesy shuttle to local attractions, remind them that sunscreen use wasn’t optional.'
He added: 'In most ways, they’re already like an old, married couple. In others, they’re delightfully not. Since their wedding day, Jillian and Ryan seem to have a renewed appreciation for what they mean to one another.'

48 comments:

NaijaDeltaBabe said...

Father's love

Bonita Bislam said...

Awwww terrific !

Unknown said...

Ummmm awww cool



Aunty linda

Unknown said...

Ummmm awww cool



Aunty linda

Anonymous said...

Lessons learnt, never ever estimate the power of true love you give and show your child (able bodied or disabled), it is a confidence booster. Impossible is nothing...

BrendaN

Unknown said...

So sweet of him....congrats to her!

Unknown said...

a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said..
.
This is just lovely...... Long and lasting marriage is all i wish them though....
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***

Unknown said...

a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said..
.
This is just lovely...... Long and lasting marriage is all i wish them though....
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***

Unknown said...

this is sooo cute

Unknown said...

intellectual dissability what a choice,happy married life.

Anonymous said...

Oh wow!!! This is so emotional. It made me cry so much. God bless their union. As a parent to a 14 year old perfectly normal child, I have same fears as Jillian's father. I wonder how I will feel on that special day when that little girl will be handed over to a complete stranger. It is well oh!!!

ary said...

Awwww cute couple

Anonymous said...

CONGRATS.... MAY GOD BLESS YOUR HOME

Unknown said...

Watching them is making me emotional

Unknown said...

Daddy's love!

OSINANL said...

It seems both of them are down syndrome...

Blog It With Olivia said...

Eiya, that's really sweet










#it WiLL OnLy gEt BeTTEr
#It mUSt EnD iN prAiSE

Anonymous said...

this is lovely God bless their home greatly

Unknown said...

so beautiful...
getting married in December to my best friend, i can't wait.

pray for me!

Unknown said...

so beautiful...
getting married in December to my best friend, i can't wait.

pray for me!

Mzz_Mary said...

AaAawww
Soo cute

kinkybabe said...

like dis,wao

Unknown said...

Eeeeeeeeeyah! Dis is breathtaking. Linda take note!

Anonymous said...

Wow, nice

Unknown said...

Very sweet

Important!  Do this tonight if you care about your brain

Mihearty said...

Love is a beautiful thing. I wish them well. HML

I B M bolubantin said...

Wow...that's really touching...
The couple look good together

Anonymous said...

Sure I will....God will perfect it... Just call for ashebi wen d time reach....

Chinedu said...

aaaaawwww

Anonymous said...

Aww, de look so happy together. Sm1 pls pass me the tissue..#sobs

Unknown said...

what we should understand is that there is no being that is created by God without his or her mate regardless of any condition. wishing them happy married life and all the best.

Anonymous said...

Awww I love good father! Not sperm donors or bankers or a disciplinarian but a. Father. One who can be all of thhe above and then still melt inside at the sight of his daughter no matter how old she is or be so proud of his son no matter how old. Best to them all

Unknown said...

Wow!

Joy of every father's and I wish her daughter all d best. HML and congrats to her.

Anonymous said...

The groom appears to have Down syndrome as well... It's genetically bad for both of them to be married if he has it, as well!

Unknown said...

So touching

Anonymous said...

God will surely speed your wish to come to pass in JESUS NAME Amennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn





God please speed my marriage in JESUS NAME Amennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Anonymous said...

God will do it for you according to your wish.

Anonymous said...

God please speed my marriage in JESUS NAME Amennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

African foodstuff and Raw Materials said...

Congrats, contact me if you need a event manager..07087870424

Anonymous said...

She has a beautiful smile and very pretty.

Unknown said...

So touching

Anonymous said...

Ashawo gal, nwa Aba... Ur runs go soon land u to hell, beta repent barbara

bummyla said...

happy married life! http://www.bummyla.com

Unknown said...

Awwww! Wishing them marital bliss....

Anonymous said...

You so dumb, that's all you could bring out of the report oloshi omo irankiran

Unknown said...

So touching.....HML girl

Unknown said...

Congrats to them,but it's touching,linda biko nwayorrr(goose pimples all over mua

Unknown said...

Aww, wish them happy life's together


*cute bree*

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