The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Makell and Orion Burgoyne have seen firsthand how simple, thoughtful acts by others can make a huge difference in church being a welcoming place for their family.
Of their seven children, two have disabilities. Five-year-old daughter Marcy has spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic condition that makes it difficult to walk, especially up stairs. One recent act that touched the Burgoynes’ hearts was when the Primary presidency in their ward made sure Marcy’s class met on the main level of the meetinghouse, to avoid stairs.
“Just that small thoughtful thing was so big,” Makell Burgoyne said. “It was big for me, it was big for Orion, it was big for Marcy.”
The Burgoynes’ youngest child, 4-year-old Rudy, has Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, a rare genetic condition that has caused both intellectual and developmental delays.
Orion Burgoyne said he’s been surprised by how often people at church will go out of their way to include Rudy.
“We keep finding time and time again where beautiful, kind people say, ‘You know what, I know how to make this work for Rudy, I know how to make this work for Marcy,’” Orion Burgoyne said. “And that has been a level of kindness that we never expected.”
Makell Burgoyne said they have experienced judgment in the past, such as when Rudy makes noise during sacrament meetings, but in their current ward, the Centerville 1st Ward in the Centerville Utah South Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that’s never been a problem.
“There’s a part of me that wonders if so many parents in this ward have taught their kids that kids with special needs are just as important and beautiful and special,” Makell Burgoyne said. “But I think that’s so crucial, to teach your kids to love everyone.”
Communication
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