Rachelle Stringer’s story is one of challenges, heart ache and prejudices. But it is also one of triumph, determination and the strength of the bond between Mother and child. Because this story is as much about Paula, Rachelle’s mother as it is about Rachelle.

The birth of a child is supposed to be a joyful event. When Paula had Rachelle that joy was for a brief period of time – up until Paula noticed the sticker on Rachelle’s crib that read “F.L.K.”. Not sure what those letters meant in medical terms Paula asked her sister-in-law a nurse at the New Zealand hospital to translate. F.L.K – “funny looking kid”. Later blood tests confirmed that Rachelle had Down Syndrome.

As much as Paula was devastated with the news, it was made worse by the overwhelming negativity that accompanied that label. Words such as institutions, slow, disabled, hard, can’t do, won’t do, should, should, should were bantered around. Paula grieved, remaining detached and un-bonded with her new born. Lost in the label, Paula found it difficult to see what could lie beyond.

After a month of being inundated by doom and gloom, Paula resolved that her daughter was not going to be defined by a label. She allowed herself to experience new feelings around this. What about hope, belief, high expectations, courage and determination? Paula thought ‘What if I raise her as though she was no different from anyone else?’ It was a decision that changed the direction of their lives. From that point forward Paula chose to only see what Rachelle could do, what she could achieve. She chose to view Rachelle as whole and perfect just as she was – she was on a mission with a vision/

To aid in this approach and to minimize the stigma that came with the labels, Paula and her husband moved to a farm. Here they only ate what they could grow, catch or raise. Rachelle grew up on natural food, clean air and her Mother’s absolute belief in her ability to shine. It was while the family was on the farm that they also welcomed Rachelle’s two younger brothers, one with hydrocephalus (and Spina Bifida and the other a potential child genius.

All the children were treated as equals, no one better or worse than the other. The sibling relationship was one of caring, sharing and helping each other. (Incidentally, the brother with spina bifida does not require a wheelchair (much to the shock of his Neurosurgeon), lives independently and is a top salesman for a company in New Zealand. Paula also accounts his success to their therapeutic wholesome lifestyle and spending hours on the trampoline. But that is a whole other very interesting story!) Although Paula did not have the support of her husband, her persistency, consistency and sheer determination held the family together and supported the growth and development of the children. With two disabled children and living on a farm, times were hard but Paula knew that she was doing exactly what she needed to do.

The next hurdle was school and the sometimes unforgiving attitudes of the outside world. At 5, Rachelle had a visit from the Special Education Department at kindergarten. With minimal formal testing, Paula was informed that Rachelle could not possibly attend a ‘normal’ school. Paula did not take this news lying down and left the area to spend the next 9 months taking Rachelle to a Child Potential Unit (some four hours away) to be assessed properly. After 9 months Rachelle was allowed to attend the local primary school. Paula and the children returned to the farm.

Rachelle says that primary school in the country was okay. She had friends and managed her work. But two very significant events happened in those years that were to affect her life profoundly. Firstly her parents separated when she was 8. Her father had a hard time coping and did not share Paula’s vision for his children. Secondly when Rachelle was 9 her mother was almost killed. Paula was visiting a friend and they unwittingly opened a letter bomb sent to her by her ex-husband. Paula’s friend died instantly, and with her body shattered into pieces, so should have Paula. But Paula survived and a week and half after being on life support, she took herself home to reclaim her house and children from her ex-husband. It took years of surgery for Paula to recover. It was an incident that scarred not only Paula’s body but the minds and hearts of them all.

But it was at Intermediate and high school that things started to fall apart. High school is difficult at the best of times and Rachelle struggled with some of the work and friendships. She was quiet and a loner. She was delighted when over the years she developed two deep friendships only to be devastated when they ended the friendships after discovering that she had Down syndrome. The label was spreading its negativity again. She felt she didn’t fit into either world – not the world of the Down syndrome or the world of the non-disabled. But Rachelle had inherited her Mother’s determination and despite these disappointments and the struggle with study, Rachelle passed high school and went on to study Office Technology and then Sales & Retail.

Not long after Rachelle finished college Paula moved to Australia in a bid to be as far away from the harrowing memories as she could. Unfortunately while Rachelle was still in New Zealand living with relatives, they tried to poison her against her mother. Finally after a year she was tricked into reuniting with her mother on the Gold Coast. Not surprisingly the years of trauma, confusion, manipulation and emotional heartache had taken their toll on Rachelle and she crashed. She says for about ten weeks she just cried – lots and lots of sad and bitter tears. And it was the bond between Mother and Daughter and having a loving space to process her grief and anger that gave Rachelle strength and the conviction that it would all be okay.

Needing to get back into life Rachelle started working part-time work in retail. It was during this time that a friend also took her through the Myers Briggs personality profile. She came out as an I.N.F.P (introverted, intuition, feeling, perceiving) who make up less than 1% of the population. Rachelle claims it was one of the most amazing moments of her life. “Even though it may be another label it gave me permission to be me, something other than Down syndrome, something that just acknowledged and honoured who I am” she says. Rachelle’s confidence grew and landed a part time job at the University, started dance lessons and attracted a boyfriend. Life tends to go in waves and Rachelle’s life was no exception.

When her temp job at the University was offered to someone else (apparently Rachelle was ‘too confident’ having done a very successful job), Rachelle was left feeling adrift. Paula refocused Rachelle by asking her exactly what it was she really wanted to do. Never doubting that she could do anything she wanted. Rachelle announced that she would like to be a veterinarian nurse and so they made plans to move to Toowoomba and to Gatton Uni. Three weeks before the move Paula had a terrible reaction to a travel vaccine and became chronically ill. At that time a job was offered to Rachelle on the Coast and her Mum needed to be in a warmer climate, so they relocated again.

It took twenty two months for Paula to regain her health. Part of her recovery plan was Gerson therapy (juicing). Rachelle’s interest in natural therapies had been ignited. At this time Rachelle was working full time, studying (to be a vet nurse) and taking full time care of her mother. The journey had come full circle. Two and half years later Rachelle gave the study away. Then in 2004 Rachelle started on a new path – she decided to do her Reiki 1 course.

After one day of the course the teacher rang Paula and offered to teach Rachelle level 1, 2 and master for free. Initially Paula thought she was doing it out of sympathy but the teacher insisted that Rachelle was very gifted and she felt honour bound to teach her all that she knew. Rachelle finally felt that she had found her place. She intrinsically knew this was her calling. It meant she could help people and use her strong intuitive and channeling abilities. Until the Reiki Rachelle hadn’t even been aware of what she had been doing when she had these insights and ‘feelings’.

Rachelle hasn’t looked back. From there she went on to study Acutonics – a system similar to acupuncture but using calibrated tuning forks instead of needles. In 2007 she attended the first of three courses she did with Tony Robbins. They made a huge impact on her life inspiring her to go for her dreams and goals. With this inspiration and the unwavering support and guidance from Paula, Rachelle, in 2009, opened her healing clinic and website.

Her life experiences have molded Rachelle into a compassionate, warm and empathic being. She has had the unique journey of being born with and overcoming her disability. Blood tests done in her mid teens confirmed that she is free of Down syndrome. It has taken courage for Rachelle to put her story out there. She not only had to accept the Down Syndrome label but move through it and beyond it, something she could not have done if Paula hadn’t made that decision to aim high back when she was a baby. Rachelle feels it is her time now to share her knowledge, gifts and abilities with others.

Rachelle’s website (www.reversedownsyndrome.com) offers information and products to help reverse or minimize the effects of many conditions, including Down syndrome. Combining Acutonics, Reiki, Massage and Scenar and with her gift of intuition (to name some of her therapies), Rachelle treats people for a number of different problems in her home clinic (www.rachellestringer.com)

Having met Rachelle I could think of many other labels I could use if I had to try and describe her– articulate, intelligent, communicative, professional, beautiful and warm would be a few. What I know is that Rachelle and Paula are extraordinary women and a true inspiration.


A note from Paula –

“Looking back now, Australians don’t know how lucky they are – where we come from there is no such thing a ‘a huge payout’ nor are your medical expenses covered (there is no Medicare). And although we lived through her own ‘September 11’, there was no community support or fundraising to help me cope with the obvious ongoing financial expenses and losses – I was hailed a hero by the public but they overlooked the obvious. We were left to our own defenses. I don’t believe that would have been the case here in Australia. I salute you.”