Christi Hockel always dreamed of a white wedding, but since she was born with Down syndrome, her parents were never sure that marriage would be in the cards.
Hockel, 31, was there to catch the bouquet at each of her five older siblings’ weddings, always longing to find a love of her own. In the meantime, Hockel’s mother prayed for her youngest child to find a match.
At the National Down Syndrome Congress convention in Minneapolis in 2003, Hockel’s dream caught some traction. There, she met Austin Davenport, 32, who also has Down syndrome, and she soon knew she’d found her match.
The two both love to dance. She was smitten by his sense of humor, he by her upbeat personality.
The only trouble: Davenport lived in Dallas, Texas, nearly 2,000 miles, from Hockel’s California home. But they talked on the phone and visited often. Soon enough, the pair knew they wanted to be together.
In October they married. Now they speak publicly about their life together and the possibilities that exist despite having a disability, reports the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times. To read more click here.
More in Down Syndrome »
Copyright © 2010 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated and will not appear until they are approved. All comments must be in compliance with the DisabilityScoop.com Terms and Conditions. Please stay on-topic, keep your comments brief and refrain from inserting links or using abusive language.
You must be logged in to post a comment. Click here to login or register.
How far we have come. When I started teaching, kids with Downs were still routinely institutionalized and many died by the age of 10 from poor medical care. Parents hoped they would outlive them and sometimes facilitated their death by not allowing needed surgery. Then they were “allowed” in the community but thought not to be able to learn anything but functional skills. Down’s is about to become a disability of minimal consequence where the person lives a normal life with just the assistance he or she needs and the same opportunities as everyone else. In another generation perhaps they will not be the face a person thinks of when he hears the words “mental retardation”.
Congratulations to the couple. I hope they have a long and happy marriage.