Hole in the Heart

On Mother's Day 2001 Henny Beaumont gave birth to her third child. For the first four hours, her baby seemed no different from her two other little girls. When the registrar told Henny and her husband that their daughter might have Down's Syndrome, she knew that her life was over. How would she be able to look after this baby, who might die, and manage her other two children at the same time? How did this weak little baby, who needed so much more from Henny than her other two children, provoke such feelings of hatred and resentment? How can she learn to love her? And if she can't trust her own reactions to Beth, how can she expect other people to overcome their prejudices and ignorance about her condition?Hole in the Heart shares Henny's journey in an accessible and entertaining way, not only with those who have had a similar experience, or the medical professionals involved, but with a wider public - people who may have wondered how to behave towards families with disabled children, or who may be struggling with the idea of being an inadequate parent.Henny's experience may be very particular and extreme, but we are all competitive and anxious about our children, wondering where they fit in on a scale of achievement, whether we do enough for them, and whether we love them enough.