 |
Craig Blackburn and Heather Hancock were each born with Down syndrome and are advocates for people and children with special needs. They met almost 14 years ago, in July 2002, at a National Down Syndrome Society Conference.
A friend of Hancock’s introduced the two. For the rest of the conference, they were inseparable, attending a basketball game for a first date and promising to keep in touch. They each kept that promise, forming a long-distance relationship and traveling back and forth between Luling, Texas (where Craig lives) and Oklahoma (where Heather lives).
They’ve been together since then and had a commitment ceremony between them on June 7 of this year, the result of a nine-year engagement and a something neither family was certain would ever happen for reasons beyond the couple’s control- their special needs life.
In 2007, Blackburn, secured permission from Hancock’s mother and father to ask for her hand in marriage. Plans to propose were underway—and he was going to make the moment count.
He decided to make his big request at the NDSC Conference in Kansas City,with 14 of their family and friends in attendance at a dinner outing.
That settled the engagement, but a wedding itself would create a few more obstacles to overcome. There are significant challenges that individual’s with special needs face that others don’t in this area. One issue was distance.
The two exchanged their vows at a commitment ceremony on the beach in St. Thomas. Sixteen family members and friends who joined Hancock and Blackburn on a Caribbean cruise from Cape Canaveral to the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico and Grand Turk. The wedding party and guests departed from the ship in St. Thomas, where Hancock and Blackburn exchanged vows on the beach with a reception at a beach restaurant and later that day returned to the ship.
“It’s a dream come true,” Blackburn said. “It happened because both of our families got involved and wanted it for us. I always knew I loved her. I’d do anything for Heather.”Hancock said the ceremony was very emotional.
“I started to tear up when he was reading his vows,” she said. “When it was over, I didn’t want to let him go. I never want him to leave because I know I’ll miss him so much.”
But the two lovers had to separate again after the wedding cruise. But this time, they were able to separate with the knowledge that it’s only a temporary parting of ways.
Blackburn and his parents plan to move to Oklahoma to finally be with his longtime love on a daily basis within the next year to year-and-a-half, following Blackburn's mum, Ehrle’s impending retirement. At that time, Ehrle and her husband, Ken, who is retired already, will move to Oklahoma with Blackburn and thus be able to help him commute from place to place and fulfill his other day to day activities, alleviating any problem he would run into.
“I love that I’ll be able to see him every day when I wake up,” Hancock said.
The two already share plenty of passions, including their love for working in the community and advocacy. The two travel every year to Washington, D.C. for example, to speak on behalf of children with special needs. They’re also each motivational speakers.
“We’re so proud of both of them,” Ehrle said.
Ehrle said she hopes the story of her son and Hancock, who Ehrle said she considered to be like a daughter to her long before the vows exchange, will bring light and hope to others in a similar situation.
“We hope their story can bring awareness and bring hope to others who are children with special needs and their parents, so they can see that this is possible,” she said.
Source: Heraldguide.com
No comments:
Post a Comment