feature
for Dani
When faced with zero educational options
for her autistic son, one mother created her
own I By Machla Abramovitz
It has been said that raising children
changes the tapestry of the soul. Kathy
Laszlo can testify to that fact. The birth of
her firstborn son, Dani, set in motion a
chain of life-altering events that brought
60 JEWISH LIFE n ISSUE 83
Kathy from Hungary to Toronto, and
brought Judaism into her life. Along the
way, Kathy became a trailblazing advocate
for her child and other children who
shared his challenges.
Kathy co-founded DANI (Developing
and Nurturing Independence), a non-profit, Toronto-based organisation for young
people with varying degrees of cognitive
and developmental challenges. In the six
years since its inception, the organisation
has aimed to serve the spiritual needs of
these special individuals, and to provide a
nurturing environment where they can attain their fullest potential.
Anything for my child
Budapest, Hungary. Kathy was 24 when
she and her husband, Andrew, welcomed
their firstborn son, Dani. Almost from his
birth, Kathy could see that all was not well
with Dani. The milestones that mothers
photographS: BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM
Opening doors