Parents Get Hate Mail After Daughter Stella Dying of ALS Participates in County Fair: ‘Stop Trying to Make Her Normal’

When Stella Turnbull was born she was given a month to live. Now at 12 years old suffering from the juvenile version of ALS, she continues to overcome obstacles, but this time not everybody is supportive.

Stella decided to enter into the best in show competition with her goat. Stella’s mom told WHO, “One thing we’ve learned about her is if there’s something she wants to do, we’ll try to help her to figure out how to make that happen.”

Once again she overcame her challenge to do exactly what she wanted. She tied her goat Lou to her wheelchair by building a platform next to her wheelchair.

Lou had to be trained to use the platform and walk beside Stella. She came away with first place in the very first event the duo entered.

“To see her out there on her own doing something she loves to do is priceless. She speaks with her eyes, and when she came out of there her eyes were bright and she was very proud, and it just makes us proud as parents,” Stella’s father said.

Apparently, this story didn’t win over all of the patrons at the show. Stella’s mom and dad received a letter weeks after the win. In the letter, a man criticizes the parents for trying to make her normal.

Her parents defended their child by posing the question, “what is normal?” This letter had the reverse effect of what the writer intended, “it just motivates me, even more, to make sure she can do everything that everyone else can do.”

On Sunday Stella and Lou were back on the County Fair circuit as they went to the Wayne County Fair.

Related Story: House Passes Bill to End Subminimum Wage for People With Disabilities, Raise Minimum Wage to $15

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