A PUBLICATION IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SPECIAL EDUCATION WORKSHOP "MARGARITA"
Foreword: Alki Zei
No one is born a hero. One becomes a hero out of necessity, and the price is very high. It requires strength, effort... In this book, which has already seen four editions in the past, Joanna Tsokopoulou documents her experiences raising her son Leonidas.
"It will depend on you whether he will do well" was the phrase from his pediatrician during his first visit, a heavy phrase that not only haunted her but also defined her subsequent journey.
Leonidas was born on September 5, 1959, with Down syndrome, at a time when the infrastructure was non-existent and medical knowledge was insufficient. Desperate, his parents sought ways to improve their child's life while facing the challenge of finding a welcoming school amidst inflexible parents' associations that refused to enroll those children alongside the others.
In this era and under these conditions, Joanna took the initiative and made it her life's mission to create a model school that could provide the "extra love and special care" that these children need in their upbringing.
"She transformed a family problem into a collective one, enlarging her maternal embrace into one that embraced and continues to embrace dozens of children," writes Iakovos Kambanellis.
With direct and sincere language that touches the deepest chords of the reader, Joanna Tsokopoulou shares her experience, inspiring optimism and courage in every parent, in every human being.
