Dear Sanfilippo Syndrome,

I’m taking the time
to write this letter to you, because frankly, it’s time that I let you know how
I really feel.

It’s been 5 years, 8
months and 11 days since we’ve found out about you.  That’s 2080 days we’ve known your name.  I’ve been quite content not to address you,
but now it’s my turn to face you.

I’d like to know how
it feels to know that you have stolen many of our dreams.  How does it feel to

know that you have slowly
over time, robbed our daughter of every chance at a normal childhood.  How does it feel to know that you are a
murderer?  Are you proud of the many
tears that you have caused us to shed? 
Is your plan to darken all of our days? 
Do you laugh at the thought of the fear that you bring?  Do you exist to defeat?

When we were first
told about you, you answered these questions for me.  In fact, it was clearly stated in that
tri-fold brochure that we were handed just how ugly you were going to be.  That your life altering, quiet presence would
tip-toe in our daughter’s body and ever so slowly start to show your ugly
face.  In these 2080 days, you’ve taken
her voice; that sweet voice that once said “I love you” to her mom and
dad.  That voice that was able to call
her baby sister by name.  “Ninley” she
called her sister, Finley.  That voice
that

loved to sing “Jesus loves me,” and “happy birthday.”  In 2080 days, your presence in her body has
caused her to seize, caused her to have a feeding tube, and you are slowly
taking her ability to walk and run.  I
had dreams for our Livia Grace.  I
dreamed of one day watching her walk down the aisle in my wedding gown.  Now, because of you, I have to think about
cutting the threads of my beloved gown to make her funeral dress.

I have every reason
to hate you.  To scream how horrible and
unfair you are.  How I wish I never knew
you.  It would be so easy for you to
consume every ounce of every minute of every last breath I have.  I’m sure your plan was to defeat us.  I could use everything I had to curse your
name.  To spend the rest of my life
bitter, angry, and consumed with the thought of you.

But I won’t.

I don’t have time for
you.

That evil, ugly plan
that was laid out before us in that tri-fold; we aren’t allowing it to prevail
over our family.

You see, your plan
has back-fired.  Your presence, although
un-welcome, has changed everything. 
You’ve changed our hearts, our eyes, our priorities, and most of all our
village of support.  Not only do we love
more fiercely, appreciate more greatly, but we know the importance of taking
care of one another.  You’ve brought
people into our life that has decided to walk alongside us through this

journey.  A community of people that are
inspired by an 8 year old girl; a child who has brought even the strongest men
to drop to their knees and embrace her.