April 2023 Special Needs Living Akron/Canton

MAYOR KATHY IS VOTING YES FOR ISSUE 21…

As a parent, I am requesting your vote for ISSUE 2

This is my story; how I discovered I was having a child with a disability.

On January 30, 2005, I was five months pregnant and on my way to a cheerleading competition with my team, when a driver ran a red light and broadsided my 2004 Honda Pilot. Rushed to the hospital, I underwent an ultrasound, followed by close monitoring by physicians, given my pregnancy. I will never forget numerous physicians asking me if I knew my baby did not have a nasal bone; I did not. The doctors continued, telling me my baby had a hole in her heart and shorter limbs; the breadth and depth of what I was hearing was not something I immediately understood. The doctors recommended an amniocentesis to assess my baby. Reluctantly, my husband, Tony, who is a physician, and I agreed. After the results came back, we learned our baby girl had Down syndrome – we were in utter shock. Emotions flooded our hearts, and we may have cried for 24 hours straight. We laid in bed staring at the ceiling not knowing what to expect, and worried if our daughter would live.

On May 16, 2005, Vanessa was born six weeks premature via emergency C-section. She was two pounds, 11 ounces at birth – so tiny. There were struggles and moments that held sadness, like the milestones in Vanessa’s life she missed – learning to crawl, walk, communicate. I gained a deep patience for her, and a profound empathy for families of children with special needs. I thought I had my life mapped out, where I was going and when, but God had other plans. He gave us Vanessa, our special gift, who is now 17.

I know Vanessa will need lifelong supports and people to come alongside her. If you have a child with a disability who needs services, you know the effort this entails. The Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities is there for us, providing lifelong support to a steadily increasing number of people with disabilities – nearly a thousand more people than just 10 years ago. I have the distinct privilege to be their Levy Chairperson this year.

As a parent, I am requesting your vote for ISSUE 21, which will provide needed supports to over 4,106 people with developmental disabilities. Your vote for ISSUE 21 will make a difference in the lives of people and families who need it the most.

Kathy Catazaro-Perry Mayor, City of Massillon