A message from Carmel Wilkinson
I recently sent my daughter, almost 33-years-old with Down syndrome, on an adventure to Perth.
I have some cousins in Perth, who introduced me to their very close friends who also have a daughter with Down syndrome. We met a few years ago before the pandemic, then again this January for an afternoon at my cousin’s in Perth.
The girls hit it off so well and we talked about how sad it was that we live in different states. Then I asked – if I put her on a plane, would you collect her at the airport and the girls can have a few days together?
That’s how this adventure began.
On Thursday morning, we arrived at Tullamarine Airport for a 9am flight, only to be told that the flight was cancelled until the evening. I was furious! But there’s always plan B. Micaela boarded a plane at 10am to Sydney, with a transfer to Perth. It worked! But it took good support from staff, and almost a heart attack at my end.
Micaela arrived in Perth, had a fabulous time with friends and family. She enjoyed dinners, lunches, dancing, chocolate factories, you name it – she had it. She was flooded with love from wonderful, kind people. On her return to Melbourne, unfortunately staff didn’t do as promised, which was to help get her luggage from overhead, and escort her to me at the gates. Instead, Micaela used her initiative and asked a man to help her get the bag down and walked unassisted through the tunnel to the gates to me!
What’s the moral of this story?
Work. Decisions. Persistence. Bravery. Change. Consistence.
Today, my soon to be 33-year-old daughter lives relatively independently (next door), and has had trips with us to so many places around the world, and now can say she’s travelled alone!
As my husband and I drove to collect her on Sunday night, we said, ‘Well, that’s another thing she’s achieved that we didn’t think was possible,’ and the list goes on.
If I could have spoken to my 33-year-old self in 1990, I would have said, ‘Calm down girl. It will all work out in the end.’
But do the necessary work, and the outcome will be successful.