A Path Less Travelled

by Jackie Waters (PWSA UK)

You never forget the day your child was diagnosed with PWS. It is one of those days when life takes a sudden lurch onto a completely new path, and signposts are few and far between.

PWS is rare. It is a path less travelled by most of people in this world, but it is a path from which there is no turning back as long as you have a son or daughter with PWS. 

My daughter, Esther was diagnosed in 1983, when she was nearly five years old. I still remember the feeling of shock and numbness.  What IS this thing she has? The doctor who diagnosed her had only seen one other child in the past, and could tell me little, except to cut down on food. The UK Association was still very much in its infancy and got most of its information from the USA. When that finally reached me, over a month after Esther was diagnosed, I read that my daughter was likely to turn into something I really did not want to deal with. 

Many years down that path and looking back, it has been quite a journey. I have met people I would never otherwise have met, from all classes, races and cultures, who I can talk to like family – because only they understand. I have learned about genetics, endocrinology, nutrition, psychology, orthopaedics and a host of other things. Above all I have learned patience and tolerance.

Nowadays, there is a lot of information out there for many parents who have a child diagnosed with PWS –though there remain many unanswered questions. But some parents, who don’t have access to the internet, to other families, or to knowledgeable medical  professionals, are even now in the same situation as I was in 1983 – alone and unsure and, quite probably, without even a diagnosis.

IPWSO reaches out especially to these parents to let them know they are not alone; that there are signposts on the path and that there are others who have trodden this path before them, and who can help, even if they are people they do not yet know.  

IPWSO is having an awareness drive this Easter, asking for donations to further help those in the world who need the critical information that was not available when my daughter was small.  Please help – donate the cost of a few Easter eggs, and encourage your friends also!