"It's fun," Clara says, "to help someone and give them a better chance at life." People often assume that Clara can't speak or understand them. "But as any parent will know, you just get on with life." Clara - the girl with big, brown eyes and an easy smile - has helped them truly learn how to do that.
One cognitively impaired girl needed help with her lines. "Those are hard things to think about in a world where your physical presence, the way you look, is so much a part of society and how people react," says Eric Beatty, vice president of a manufacturing company.Even today, Janet Beatty is astounded at how well her youngest daughter navigates the world."Even when she was little, you could look at her and people would say there's an old soul in there," she says.It won't "fix" things, but likely will help her blend more - and possibly help her get rid of the breathing tube."I want to try to make myself as much like the other kids, so that I can stop having everyone asking me questions," Clara says, "because it gets so annoying." She says it matter-of-factly - not like she's hurt or damaged by the questions and comments.