A loving dad wrote a letter to his daughter with Down syndrome on her wedding day, wanting to express how proud he was of all that his “girl” had accomplished, all of the things that others said she could never do. .
The father recalled how he used to cry for fear that his daughter would not be accepted by others, but that fear was in the past, as the 25-year-old girl has managed to overcome different obstacles, above all, according to her father, she has become someone capable of living a life of empathy and sympathy.
The beautiful bride Jillian was finishing getting ready for her big day while her father, Paul Daugherty, waited for her outside the house, watching her through the window. But there were so many emotions that she felt at that moment that she wanted to capture them in an emotional letter, published on The Mighty website.
In two hours, you’ll be on the ride of your life, a ride made all the more memorable by what you’ve accomplished to get to this day. I don’t know what the chances are of a woman born with Down syndrome marrying the love of her life. I only know that you have achieved it.
Your hair is neatly coiled around your slender neck. Your jeweled dress, ‘my bling’ you called it, catches every glint of afternoon sun coming through the window. Your makeup: that red lipstick! It somehow enhances a beauty that has been growing since the day you were born. Your smile is blooming and eternal.
In addition, Paul mentioned that, as parents, they never had any doubts that she would be able to learn anything academically, but what worried them the most was the rejection that their daughter might experience in her emotional relationships.
So I worried about you. I cried profusely the night you were 12 and came downstairs to declare, ‘I have no friends.’ Now I see you. The prep work is done, the door opens. My girl, all in white, crossing the threshold of another conquered dream. I am left breathless and paralyzed, completely in the moment. You look beautiful, it’s the best I can do.
With a huge smile, Jillian told her dad that she would always be his girl. It was time to leave to continue her path, because a new life awaited the brave girl.