Caterina Scorsone is best known for her role as Dr. Amelia Shepherd on the long-running ABC drama Grey's Anatomy. But her most important role is as a mom. It's something she feels deeply passionate about, and she has opened up about her motherhood experience before. However, now Caterina is sharing a bit more about daughter Paloma "Pippa" Michaela, who is 3 years old and has Down syndrome.
The 39-year-old actress just wrote a deeply personal and moving essay for Good Morning America, which she hopes will shed light on the condition. She also opened up about why special needs advocacy is so important to her in light of October, which is Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
In the stunning piece, she writes, "Pippa has Down syndrome. But Pippa isn't Down syndrome. Pippa is Pippa." She adds, "Pippa is different. So are you and so am I." The moving piece isn't just a show of a mother's love; it's an incredible statement about why our differences make us special.
Essays like this are so important because conditions like Down syndrome aren't often talked about in the mainstream. But there are so many parents whose children have Down syndrome, and we should definitely embrace hearing about their experiences. Coming from a huge star like Caterina makes it even more impactful.
In the piece, the actress talks about what makes her daughter different and also special. She writes, "She has a visual learning profile that makes it easier for her to learn from pictures and printed words than from hearing a teacher lecture. She could read simple words at 3 years old but took longer than her sister to be able to talk because of differences in her oral motor planning and muscle tone. … She is small for her age but her eyes are wise. She always says what she means and doesn't suffer fools."
Caterina continues, writing that her daughter "has needs that are specific to the way her body was made." But she also points out that the same is true for everyone. "For Pippa to accomplish what she chooses to accomplish, to thrive and fulfill the desires she has for herself, she needs to be supported in specific ways. So do I," she writes.
She also touches on why equity is important when it comes to special needs. "Equity embraces our differences," she says. "Equality sometimes accidentally erases them and in so doing, creates disadvantage and inequality for a great many people."
"To have the same opportunities for fulfillment that I have, Pippa needs things like therapies designed to support her learning differences and physical challenges," she continues. "She needs more media visibility for people who look like her, so that people recognize her as part of their community, and so she can recognize herself in the aspirational characters she sees on TV and in the press."
"When she's older, she'll need support with some of her life skills (like a lot of us do), and with finding a job that's the perfect fit for her skills and talents. She'll need some supports to get an equal shot at life," the actress adds. "She'll need equity."
"Regardless of the number of chromosomes or abilities we have, the gender we express, the money in our bank account, the color of our skin or the learning profile we respond to best, human beings have the same needs. We need love, safety, dignity and connection."
Caterina's words are deeply touching, not just because they are written from a place of concern for her daughter, but because it's clear that Caterina would do just about anything to support not just her child but all kids with special needs.
"But human beings are different, we are specific, and we need to be loved and supported individually," she adds. It's a stunningly beautiful message and one that we should all take to heart. Because while it's certainly the age of information, reading about other's personal and unique experiences with their children is still so needed. It helps all children to feel more understood and empowered.
Caterina is definitely a fierce mom who says what's on her mind and does what she needs to do to best support her children. Pippa, along with Caterina's two other daughters — Eliza, 8, and Lucinda (aka Lucky), 10 months — are so lucky to have her. While Caterina plays a powerful woman on TV, it seems like in real life she's even more of a rock star.
This piece is an important reminder that everyone is different and has different needs. We should welcome these kinds of perspectives whenever we can. Doing so will help create a more compassionate world for all children, little by little, with moms — no doubt — leading the way.
