3 minute read
Book of Affirmations
CURRENT LISTINGS
HARVIN GREENE STEPHANIE MARINAC
Advertisement
NEW LISTING 801 South Candler Drive
5BR | 4.5BA | $1,050,000
City of Decatur dream home with open floorplan in Winona Park.
NEW LISTING 1089 Regency Road
5BR | 5.5BA | $1,600,000
Elegant home in the heart of Buckhead on gorgeous 1 acre lot.
UNDER CONTRACT 1753 Johnson Road
4BR | 2.5BA | $800,000
Darling Morningside home on rare .5 acre corner lot. UNDER CONTRACT
2371 Heather Drive
3BR | 2BA | $500,000
Fabulous Mid-Century home in coveted Leafmore Hills with stylish updates.
UNDER CONTRACT 309 10th Street
4BR | 3BA | 2HB | $1,650,000
Amazing Victorian overlooking Piedmont Park and chock full of historic details.
JUST SOLD 1236 Cumberland Road
6BR | 5BA | $1,795,000
Sophisticated Morningside home with wonderful entertaining spaces.
JUST SOLD 4571 Columns Drive
7BR | 8BA | 2HB | $6,500,000
Stunning 8-acre equestrian estate on the Chattahoochee.
OVER $30M SOLD IN 2021
Harvin Greene
M 404.314.4212 O 404.352.2010 harvingreene@dorseyalston.com
Stephanie Marinac
M 404.863.4213 O 404.352.2010 stephaniemarinac@dorseyalston.com
Father of daughter with autism writes a book of affirmations
By Donna Williams Lewis
Quentin Harris knew at the age of 8 the kind of father he wanted to be someday – nothing like his own. “I remember as a kid growing up saying that whenever I have children, I’m going to … love my children, Quetin Harris with daughter Quinn. and I’m going to do everything I need to do for them,” he said.
Harris, who went on to graduate from Douglass High School and Atlanta Metropolitan College, today is the father of two girls and the author and publisher of a book titled “I Am… Affirmations for Children.”
The book was inspired by a morning routine Harris had with his daughters Quincy, 10, and Quinn, 7, before dropping them off at daycare.
He’d stand with them before a mirror and repeat positive affirmations to build their confidence and set expectations for how they should treat others and expect others to treat them.
His book features drawings of children with reflective material for faces.
“I wanted to make sure Quinn could interact with the book,” Harris said. “That’s how the mirrors came in, so that Quinn could see herself inside the character as I’m reading the affirmation.”
When Quinn was born by emergency cesarean section, she wasn’t breathing. A respiratory therapist helped to revive her, and she recovered quickly.
Harris worked nights during that time and cared for Quinn during the day. By the time she was a year old, he’d noticed developmental differences in Quinn and started doing research.
“I didn’t tell my wife [Raquel] any of this. I’d just kind of hide out in my man cave and cry and worry and stress out,” Harris said. “I didn’t tell my wife because I didn’t want to be right.”
After her daycare teacher expressed similar concerns, Harris had Quinn evaluated. She was referred to the Marcus Autism Center, where testing confirmed she had autism.
Quinn started therapy there at the age of 1, when she was sleeping just two to four hours each night. As therapy progressed, she made significant strides, including sleeping through the night, saying words, and responding to vocal direction, Harris said.
He encourages parents to act quickly when they see signs of autism. The Marcus Autism Center says evidence shows early diagnosis and treatment can lead to better long-term outcomes.
Getting Quinn to therapy at the Druid Hills center for two hours a day, Monday through Friday, for two years was a huge challenge, said Harris, who now works in Patient Access at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “Having a child with autism is mentally draining. It’s physically draining. It’s financially draining. But you find a way to make sure your child gets what she needs.”
These days, Quinn can recite the alphabet, knows numbers, loves her iPad, and likes to lead her father to her “I Am...” book for reading time together.
“She has a lot of words,” Harris said. “I think she doesn’t understand how to get them out, but she’s always said ‘Daddy.’”
“I Am… Affirmations for Children” is available for $18.99 plus shipping at MrQHarris.com.
