An Angel at My Door: A mother's fight for her daughter to live to her potential

Do we value quality of life for people with disability?

Do we see the rich gifts that people with disability offer us individually and as a society?

To be blunt - no, we don't, and it's time for change.

Joanne Lynam is a devoted mother to three adult children. Her youngest child, Emma, was born with disabilities that could have seen her "swept under the carpet" and largely dismissed by society.

However, Joanne saw Emma's potential and began to fight the myopic discrimination that overlooked Emma and other people with disabilities.

The incredible result? Emma is now a young woman who lives to her potential. She runs her own business, lives in her own home (a home she is paying for herself), and is happy and fulfilled. Her visibility - and her inclusion in society - has positively affected so many lives.

If you're a parent or carer, Joanne's powerful, inspiring personal story will encourage you to think outside of the box and to fight for inclusion and equality. All lives are valuable and are gifts to the world - if only we take the time to unwrap them.

ISBN-13: 9780645076806

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Joanne Lynam

Publication Date: 04-30-2021

Pages: 308

Product Dimensions: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.65d

Lynam, Joanne: - "Joanne Lynam believes in miracles. She also believes that every challenge that has come into her life has not been by accident - there has been a divine purpose for each and every one. In the 1980s Joanne and her husband Greg adopted sons Roshan and Laksiri from Sri Lanka, and in 1994 Joanne gave birth to a daughter, Emma (who was born with disability). It is through her children that Joanne's eyes were opened to society's blindness and bigotry, and to a strength that she hadn't ever realised she possessed. Although she is now a social justice warrior, Joanne has been a life-long listener and seeker. She has worked within Queensland's justice department, and has seen firsthand the way that society devalues anyone who doesn't fit the norm. She knows that it is her life's work to advocate for the voiceless, and to help them reach their potential. When Joanne isn't passionately advocating for change, she loves nothing more than being with her family, diving into a curry, savouring an icy cold kombucha, reading books (uninterrupted!) and strolling along Townsville's beautiful beaches."