Books to Read: “Hopelighting: Sus discapacidades nos hacen mas fuertes”

“Hopelighting” is a book of 26 personal stories. Each story tells the experiences of mothers and sisters of kids with disabilities. Their stories offer words of support, wisdom and empathy. The book provides insight, support and help for families of children with disabilities.

The idea of capturing these experiences was supported by Dr. Gina Nunez, Director of Women’s and Gender Studies Program at the University of Texas at El Paso. She inspired the authors to confidently write about their experiences.

Strength in the face of adverse situations is the book’s main message. The book isn’t only for families living with a disability. It is for everyone. No one is exempt from living with or facing a disability. The book inspires us to leave the limitations we impose on ourselves and know the strength of our minds and our hearts.

“Hopelighting” is a powerful book. It is the story of families who navigate the adversity of disability and other challenges, like migration. It tells of entire families who had to leave their countries to seek a medical diagnosis and care in another country. In addition to advocating for their loved one’s medical rights, many of the parents described in “Hopelighting” learned a new country’s language, culture, medical system, governmental structure and educational system.

Children with various disabilities created all the book’s pictures. These children show how a person can develop different abilities and communicate their unique view of the world.

This book is bilingual and written in English and Spanish. It reflects where the book was created,  on the border of El Paso, TX and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. This is a largely bi-national community, reflecting how the Children’s Disabilities Information Coalition provides its services and adapts to the needs of the area.

In March 2022, the CDIC had its 33rd Annual Symposium. It featured four of the “Hopelighting” authors as guest speakers. They shared their unique journeys with their children and siblings.

* Published by Children’s Disabilities Information Coalition and Amerigroup of Texas.