Behind Jeanne

​To the left is a picture of Cary, my little brother at age six with his giant Christmas peppermint stick. I patterned Robby in Jeanne after him. Cary was an angel here on earth for twenty-three years. He brought unconditional love into our family. I tried to convey that special love through the character, Robby.

 The facility referenced in Austin was the first state home for the feeble minded. Children were boarded there under lock and key for fear of them developing criminal tendencies. Families were not able to visit often. In the 1940’s when the story takes place, Robby’s condition was known as Mongolism. This label didn’t change until the 1970’s when the term was replaced with Down Syndrome. Today, services and opportunities for special needs children have dramatically changed. Over the years, parents, teachers and communities have come to understand and accept children of special needs. We are blessed to have them in our lives. 
​                                                                                                                                                                                -Sylvia Hornback

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