I loved the story, it is a beautiful example of what our society and
culture needs to learn about human existance. There is no such thing as
normal and abnormal, just differences in the human experience. I have
gone to Holland and my experience is a bit harder because my child looks
'normal' and so no one could understand why he didn't act 'normal.' It
took us 6 years to find out that he was highly allergic to all the
additives (particularly dyes) in processed food. He turns from a bright,
sensitive, inquistive boy into one who makes odd sounds, cannot sit
still, performs repetitive motions, aggresive and outright annoying.
Since I have cleaned out our food selections, he is back to being the
bright sensitive - 'normal' - person he really is. I can tell when
holidays, birthdays etc. happen because he starts to change. I have
found a hemopathic allergy medicine that works to help counteract the
symptoms fast. He used to have all sorts of upper respiratory infections
but since our discovery he has had only one URI (in 5 years).
   I have great sympathy for those families who are in Holland because
no one understands that I am not in Italy with this child but in Holland
and may be for the rest of his life. While the other families truly
struggle with their child in Holland, I also stuggle with the knowledge
that I am there too, and no one can see that my child has a problem.
  It is like having an emotional or mental illness, what people cannot
see they do not understand that the pain is the same and that the lack
of understanding and sympathy (or at least empathy) adds to the problem.
While I have the blessing of a manageable condition, I do understand the
situation.
  The trick is now how to teach everyone else the lesson.

Leslie Ward, LLL
Vine Grove KY