A Special Day For A Special Girl

Posted byFractured Faith BlogPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today is a very special day in the Black household. Our eldest daughter, Hannah, is celebrating her 14th birthday. This makes Fionnuala and myself feel very old but it also fills us with wonder as to where all the years have gone. It seems no time since that exciting, frightening day when Hannah was born. Hannah was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and underwent many operations in her early life with great bravery and dignity.

How many of us could undergo neurosurgery one day and be sitting up in bed, relying on paracetamol alone for pain relief, the next. Hannah has a heart the size of Ireland but is as tough as they come. Her courage and positive outlook on life have humbled me on many occasions. She loves life and is developing into a intelligent, beautiful and talented woman before our very eyes with every passing day.

Adam is the sporting star of the family and Rebecca the bookworm and aspiring blogger. Hannah, however, loves drama, song and dance. She performs on stage with incredible confidence and her talent shines bright. This amazes Fionnuala and myself all the more given you wouldn’t catch either of us dead or alive on stage.

Hannah is a loving daughter and a loyal friend. She also loves her brother and sister very much despite the ever so occasional fallout they have. Her smile could melt the coldest of hearts and lights up every room she enters. She refuses to be defined by her disability and since the first day of her life has defied surgeons and doctors alike with her spirit and desire to live a normal life.

With every passing week she reveals new skills to us. First it was her theatrical panache, next her flair for make up, hair and fashion. And this week has shown she has inherited her mother’s baking skills; her scones, shortbread and gingerbread biscuits were heaven on earth. I will have to run a few extra miles this week to burn off all the excess calories.

I embarrass her on a daily basis with my cringe worthy dancing and appalling rap skills. Her sighs and eye rolling are a sight to behold. But we are blessed to call her our daughter. She inspires and motivates us every day to strive harder and reach higher. She is a living testimony to the adage that nothing is impossible. She is unstoppable….especially in her new, motorised wheelchair!

Hannah, thank you for the joy you bring to our lives. Thank you for the singing, the laughter and the tantrums. Thank you for the gift you are. Thank you for being you. You are perfect to us and our hero. We cannot wait to share this magical, special day with you. We will never leave your side and never let you down.

All our love.

Mummy & Daddy

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

73 thoughts on “A Special Day For A Special Girl”

  19. That was a beauty blog for Hannah. Happy Birthday Hannah! She is not the only one blessed. She is a very lucky young girl. Mummy and Daddy get the credit there on a job well done. I would imagine that it hasn’t been easy. She shines because you show her love and you are the ones that taught her to reach for the stars and that nothing is impossible. I loved the rolling eyes. Sounds like a normal 14 year old. God bless you Mummy and Daddy!

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  23. This is so beautifully written and really touched my heart! Happy birthday Hannah, if you ever have a bad day just look at yourself through your loving dad’s eyes🎂🎂🎂💞

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  26. Wow this is utterly beautiful. I believe she is so so blessed to have such loving parents and I definitely know she is a blessing in yours. Her smile seems infectious.

    A very Happy birthday to dear Hannah. I wish you and and your family a cocoon full of happiness, enough to last you this lifetime. A lot of challenges of teenage life are yet to come dear, may god give you enough strength to go through all that drama😜 and you come out of every sphere of life shining more brightly each time.

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  32. I love, love, LOVE that Hannah is determined to go onstage and perform, even with a disability. That is one of the most brave things I have even heard; it motivates me as a performer.
    Happy (belated) birthday, Hannah!

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  36. Such a beautiful girl and a wonderful post celebrating her life!
    Happy belated birthday, Hannah. I’m impressed with your acting prowess, you could never get me onstage!
    blessings~

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