Discussion at the Dzherelo Rehabilitation Centre for
Children with Cerebral Palsy

Lviv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 26, 2009

My husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, the members of the Canadian delegation accompanying us, and I are all touched by your welcome.

From the day they were born, your children have given you a lesson in courage, a reason to fight, and the strength to hope.

And every day since they were born, you have given your children opportunities to grasp, wings to fly and horizons to explore.

As the mother of a ten-year-old daughter, I know that taking care of a child brings you indescribable happiness and joy. But it is also a very demanding task.

A task that is even more difficult—not to mention exhausting—for those of you who have to meet the needs of children living with cerebral palsy.

You need support. You need resources. You need services.

I also know that there is nothing more powerful than the love we have for our children.

The Dzherelo Centre is the result of that love, and it has since become a model in terms of the treatment, education and advice for children living with cerebral palsy.

That love is so strong, it breaks down all barriers. And convinces governments. And mobilizes an entire community.

And touches the hearts of people on the other side of the Atlantic, in Canada, a country where anything is possible, a country I proudly represent as governor general.

They say that love can move mountains and perform miracles.

I cannot wait to hear about the miracle that is the Dzherelo Centre, about your efforts to create it, how it supports you every day and the challenges that still need to be met in order for people living with a disability to be able to fully integrate into Ukrainian society.

Your children remind us that the spirit of life will always triumph over the forces that try to hold it back.

Thank you.