Meet the Ladybird
The Story Behind the Ladybird
Emma Louise came into our lives on Oct 2nd, 1996, a healthy baby girl. At only eight weeks old Emma presented at hospital with an enlarged heart (metabolic cardiomyopathy) resulting in Cerebral Palsy.
She was placed on the Autism Spectrum, as there was no actual medical diagnosis for her condition, and prescribed a cocktail of heart medications. When specialists said she would never survive her first year, Emma continued to defy the odds, and learned how to sit, walk and talk, albeit at a delayed pace compared with her peers.
We read to Emma throughout her childhood, but one book was very special. It taught about overcoming shyness and featured the transformation of a ladybird; Little Lily Ladybird. It seemed fitting that Emma’s nickname was Lily Ladybird after her hero in the book. For us, ladybirds became a symbolof healing and hope for the future.
