Independent Reading Blog

Ian Brown’s impressions of the L’Arche communities in France and Montreal were skeptical. Ian found himself in a strange place when visiting the communities. Originally Ian had mixed emotions about the L’Arche community. The fact that L’Arche had been founded based on Catholic pretences changed how Ian perceived the community, but once he visited the Montreal campus he found himself not as familiar and became a stranger instead. “They weren’t an option for Walker: the waiting list was twenty years long and they accepted only adults. But Munn wanted me to visit him in Montreal. There, in a former church hall in Verdun, a working class community on the southern edge of the city, I saw for the first time the outline of the unthinkable community I was looking for. In that community, I was the stranger

I have learned that living a life with a profoundly disabled child can tear apart families. Having a child with disabilities such as Walker’s can wreck marriages because each parent could blame each other for the creation of the child. I commend Johanna and Ian Brown for being able to stick together through the childhood of their son Walker. Having the money to keep Walker alive, such as health care providers and care givers can help keep a family together. The guilt that parents have of seeing their own disabled child living the life he or she does. Many parents wish their disabled child dead because of the extreme pressure they’re under. When parents place their children in an institution they often regret it because they feel like they’re letting go and usually question their motives.

1. Do you feel like you have neglected your daughter?

2. Was putting Walker in an L’Arche community the appropriate choice?

3. What is the most important lesson that Walker has taught you?