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PROUD DAD ALERT!!!
Many of you know already that I have one child, a 10 year old daughter called Marcella. Marcella is amazing. Even if I wasn’t her Dad, I’d be talking about her to everyone all the time. She is truly amazing.
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Many of you know already that I have one child, a 10 year old daughter called Marcella. Marcella is amazing. Even if I wasn’t her Dad, I’d be talking about her to everyone all the time. She is truly amazing.
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She was born with the heart condition Aortic Stenosis and had her life saved at nine days old by the heroes at The Royal Brompton Hospital.
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A few weeks later, Great Ormond Street Hospital found that she had Hip Dysplasia which meant that she spent the best part of her first two years in a cast and again a few years later. Then she was diagnosed with Autism. And then Kabuki Syndrome.
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She has learning difficulties and has had open heart surgery on top of leg, hip and eye operations. All in all, she has had around 15 anaesthetics and accompanying operations... with more to come over the next few years.
Despite all of this, Marcella is amazing.
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Despite all of this, Marcella is amazing.
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She’s hilarious, naturally witty, joyous to be with and fun-loving. She has an incredible vocabulary for a 10 yr old. She can’t read, write or spell properly but can tell you who danced with who on #StrictlyComeDancing and to what song and what dance for the last 7 yrs...
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and has memorised all the routines due to her quasi-photographic memory. She finishes jigsaws without ever looking at the picture on the box. She has super-sensitive hearing.
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She can recite the setlist for my Billy Joel Songbook and could whoop anyone’s behind at, not only, a Billy Joel 'Name That Tune In One Second Intros’ game (that's my girl ! 
) but any song that she’s been exposed to ever.
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) but any song that she’s been exposed to ever.7/
Her motor-skills aren’t the best but she has impeccable rhythm when listening to music…
… And now... she’s 'written' a book!!!
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… And now... she’s 'written' a book!!!
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A few weeks ago, one evening during this lockdown, out of nowhere, Marcella told her Mum (my ex-wife, Helen) that she wanted to write a book about her life and asked Helen to write down what she was about to say. Mum obliged.
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Proud of what Marcella had come out with, Helen sent our families a transcript and shared it to her Facebook. Within two hours, one of Helen’s friends (a pro artist/designer) returned the transcript with wonderful drawings that she had done to accompany Marcella’s words.
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By the end of the next day, thanks to the unbelievable reach of social media, The Royal British Legion had offered to turn Marcella’s words and the drawings into a book.
Yesterday, Marcella's book went on sale.
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Yesterday, Marcella's book went on sale.
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The book is available to buy at http://marcellapace.com for £5 + p&p and all the proceeds will be split between Kabuki UK and The Royal British Legion whose branch, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, supports veterans and adults with disabilities.
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Also at the website, there’s a video that Marcella and her Mum made on the day they went to watch her book being printed for the very first time. It’s cute!!! 
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To say I’m proud of my girl for creating something that's touched so many people is a gross understatement. It’s a testament to her beautiful heart and innocent soul and I hope it serves as an inspiration to others like her, and in fact ANYONE, to dream big and go for it.
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Thank you very much for reading this. If you’d like a copy of 'Marcella’s Little Book’, head over to http://marcellapace.com 
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#marcellaslittlebook #marcellapacebook #daughter #prouddad #acheivement #autism #kabukisyndrome #royalbritishlegion #britainsbravestmanufacturingcompany #royalbromptonhospital #greatormondstreethospital @KabukiUK @RBandH @GreatOrmondSt @BritishLegionRX @bbcstrictly @joanneclifton
