For the Love

Gina and Sarina are sisters, one born with Down syndrome, the other born to care for her, both inseparable and as dependent on her sibling as the other. Gina Favazza Rowland, one of my Facebook friends, has recently published a book of her life with Sarina, as the sister born with a purpose. For the Love follows their journey from childhood to adulthood, the ups and downs, the struggles with family, the struggles with “the system,” the road to independence for each, and the unwavering love between them through it all. The title holds dual meaning; as an exclamation of frustration and as a constant reminder of how they are bound together forever, and these two meanings are woven beautifully through the story.

For the Love should be required reading for anyone going into any field that involves caring for people with "different" abilities, to remind them of the beauty of the human spirit, of the capabilities and the possibilities that exist within everyone, and of the non-negotiable need for dignity and respect. The book pleads with caregivers to remember those things, to help to make changes to the system that was created to help and protect, but often serves only to confound and damage. I am grateful for the wisdom found here, the stark warning to parents just starting out on this journey, that information will not be handed to us. That nothing will be easy (think Medicaid and HIPP, folks!). That there will always be obstacles. That we have to rely on each other to find the way.

As someone who has barely had time to read a newspaper, let alone a book in recent years, I couldn’t put this one down. It made me smile, made me hold my breath in fear of what would happen next, made me angry, inspired me, made me love these two women and all that they have fought for and accomplished so far in their lives. I hope one day to meet them both, to learn from them, and celebrate the indomitable spirit they possess.

You can buy a copy from Amazon.com here. I hope you’ll all share the journey!