A child is born. We unspool in our minds the narrative arc of future accomplishment. First smile, step, word, day at school. But what if this picture is shattered, frame by frame, by a slowly dawning realisation that all is not as it should be? For Ondine Sherman and Dror Ben-Ami, the arrival of identical twin sons was soon accompanied by the insistent thrum of worry...

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http://www.theaustralian.com.au

Ondine Sherman's life appeared close to perfect. A scion of the hugely successful Sherman family, which includes influential businessman and philanthropist father Brian, arts impresario mother Gene and film producer brother Emile ("The Kings Speech", "Rabbit Proof Fence"), Ondine's passion for animal rights led her to found one of Australia's leading animal protection groups, Voiceless, in 2004...

With her soulmate husband at her side and a toddler daughter, Ondine Sherman was living the perfect life.

She had enjoyed a privileged upbringing Sydney, made it through rebellious teenage years, was well travelled and well educated.

Her family supported her in whatever she chose, from becoming vegetarian at the age of seven, and then starting her own animal advocacy organisation, Voiceless, in her 20s.

Ondine Sherman's life was fulfilling all her expectations, but when her twin boys, Dov and Lev were born with a rare genetic condition, life suddenly changed course...

Ondine Sherman's life was picture-perfect: loving husband, well-known parents, beautiful young daughter. But when her twin sons were diagnosed with a severe neurological disorder, the strength and support of the Sherman clan overwhelmed her. by jane wheatley.

Under the glass dome of a backyard swimming pool in Tel Aviv, two little boys are floating on their backs, long, thin limbs trailing, mouths wide open in silent shouts of ecstasy. It is a warm spring afternoon and the scent of blossom drifts in through the open windows...

This week, Ondine Sherman tells us about her book The Miracle of Love, how she copes with the day to day and her quest to give a voice to the voiceless.

Last night I had the honour of being a guest at the launch of Ondine Sherman’s memoir The Miracle of Love. The first time I met Ondine was at a writer’s festival in Sydney. Though we had mutual friends and had seen each other around the traps, we had never really exchanged more than a ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’. At the writer’s festival however, we were ‘on the same page’ and Ondine and another writer invited me to join their writers group. Ondine was already deep into writing her memoir about her journey as a mother of disabled twin boys. Even at that those early stages, I knew that this book would touch many souls and would hopefully impact the way we as a community perceive disability. I also knew that I was in the presence of someone who takes action, follows through, is humble and brave, and would write her story with an open heart...