A Little More Public

Over the last few days, Mollie has taken the really big step of sharing Pippa’s diagnosis a little more publicly.

That is not an easy thing to do.

There is something very different about telling family and close friends, and then actually putting your child’s diagnosis out into the wider world.

But the response has been quite overwhelming.

Messages. Texts. Comments. People checking in from across the country and from around the world.

So much love for Mollie, Ethan, the girls and especially our gorgeous Pippa Lou.

I think one of the things Mollie was probably nervous about was whether sharing the diagnosis would somehow change how people saw Pippa.

And instead, what has come back is exactly the opposite.

People still see Pippa.

They just understand a little more now about what she is working so hard to overcome.

And the timing is actually rather lovely, because September is Pitt-Hopkins Awareness Month.

The Pitt Hopkins Research Foundation uses this month each year to encourage families to share their stories and help more people understand this incredibly rare syndrome.

And while I have been doing my usual Lelly thing of reading absolutely everything I can find, I came across a story that I loved.

There may actually be a connection between Pitt-Hopkins and Peter Pan.

Long before J.M. Barrie wrote Peter Pan, there was a real person known as Peter the Wild Boy.

Peter was found living in the woods near Hanover, Germany in 1725 and was eventually brought to England and cared for by the royal household.

He did not speak, had developmental differences and remained known for his childlike nature throughout his life.

Hundreds of years later, researchers looking at historical descriptions and portraits of Peter have suggested that he may have had Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome.

And because stories about Peter the Wild Boy were still part of the history and folklore around Kensington Gardens by the time J.M. Barrie lived there, some believe those stories may have helped inspire the character who became Peter Pan.

Nobody can prove that connection absolutely.

But I love it anyway.

The idea that someone who may have had Pitt-Hopkins was capturing people’s hearts hundreds of years before anyone even knew what Pitt-Hopkins was feels rather special.

So perhaps September is a particularly good month for Mollie to start sharing Pippa’s story.

Because awareness really does matter.

And to every single person who sent a message, wrote a comment, checked in, clicked a heart, gave a thumbs-up, or simply made some small gesture to say “I see you, I’m here” — thank you.

Those little things are not little to Mollie and Ethan.

When it takes courage to share something this personal, knowing that people are listening, caring and responding makes such a difference.

So please don’t ever worry that saying something is the wrong thing.

Your love and support matter more than you probably know. ❤️