MORNINGTON Peninsula mother-of-three and business woman Julie Fisher ‘s heart-warming and honest book From the Heart of Mums is an emotional glimpse into living with disability.
Fisher, whose son Darcy has Down syndrome, is passionate about raising awareness to increase inclusion and acceptance for people who live with a disability.
“When you enter the world of disability with your child or anyone you care for, it can be a scary time of the unknown,” she said.
“Your idea of what life was going to be like suddenly changes in an instant.”
Fisher said that from the moment of discovering a child has a disability, even the language used by many doctors, nurses and practitioners can be cold and negative, leaving parents “feeling lost, lonely and empty”.
“During this time of uncertainty, connecting with other families and sharing each other’s journeys provides you with the love and support you need to get through these difficult and unexpected times,” she said.
In her book, Fisher shares 13 personal stories from mothers around the world of their lives with loved ones who live with Down syndrome.
The book looks at how these mums navigated the path from diagnosis to the present day and how, with love and guidance, this new world of disability has led them into a world of support from people they never imagined possible.
Fisher said the stories in From The Hearts of Mums show the true beauty of disability and how it “helps us all to shine”.
Julie Fisher is also the author of The Unexpected Journey and The Magic of Inclusion where she shares her family’s journey with their son Darcy.
She said it was important to use language and behaviour that did not make people with Down syndrome feel excluded and allowed them to enjoy their day, just like everyone else.
Fisher is passionate about helping families in the disability community and last year launched her first Local Disability Expo as well as her first Visions and Dreams Workshop. The expo will be held again later this year and she is working on her next workshop.
Fisher regularly speaks publicly to help raise awareness and create more change makers in the community. In 2022 she released her first TedX Talk: No-one is Excluded with Inclusion.
You can follow Fisher at facebook.com/theunexpectedjourneybook
First published in the Mornington News – 2 May 2023
