Rebel Girls Dads & Daughters: 25 Tales of Teamwork and Fun
6 ALBA AND LUCA TRAPANESE CONTENT CREATORS AND DISABILITY ADVOCATES Once there was a little girl named Alba who loved to spend time with her dad Luca Together they danced and sang read books and played dress up Their little family was built differently than some but their happiness felt exactly the same When Alba was born her mother put her up for adoption But it was a little tricky to find the perfect family for Alba because she had a disability Alba was born with a genetic condition called Down syndrome Some kids with Down syndrome have medical problems or developmental delays People with Down syndrome are often excellent visual learners and very social With support many succeed in school have lots of friends and work at rewarding jobs when they grow up Enter Luca Trapanese Luca had a deep desire to be a dad But strict adoption laws in Italy made it hard for a gay single man like Luca to adopt a child Luca refused to give up One day he heard about a baby girl named Alba Other families didn't think they could care for Alba because of her disability Luca had volunteered at nonprofit organizations for people with disabilities such as Down syndrome for many years He knew he could provide an excellent home for a child with a disability He immediately applied to adopt Alba Luca waited and waited Finally he got the call he'd been hoping for his application was accepted He was going to be a dad Luca rushed to the hospital With trembling fingers he scooped Alba into his arms His heart was filled with joy as he looked down into her bright sparkling eyes Today Luca speaks out for people just like him and Alba kids with disabilities single dads and gay parents advocating for their wholehearted acceptance ALBA BORN JULY 2017 LUCA BORN JANUARY 14 1977 ITALY
THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY DOESN'T EXIST WE'RE ALL TRADITIONAL IF THE BASIS IS LOVE LUCA TRAPANESE ILLUSTRATION BY ARCHINA LAEZZA
8 ANANYA AND SANJAY SHARMA AIR FORCE PILOTS Once there was a girl who followed her dreams to the skies Ananya knew she wanted to be a fighter pilot from the time she was very little Growing up on military bases Ananya saw pilots going to work every morning Her dad Sanjay was one of them Whenever she heard a fighter jet whiz past overhead Ananya would stop whatever she was doing and smile She closed her eyes imagining her father soaring through the sky Every evening when Sanjay got home Ananya would quiz him about all the flights he took that day But there was something that confused Ananya As a child I would often ask my father why there were no women fighter pilots Ananya says Sanjay always told her not to feel discouraged and to believe in herself Don't worry You will be one he would say Sanjay was right When Ananya grew up she joined the military Every day she trained and studied to be a pilot Her father's faith in her abilities helped her keep going even on the days when she thought about quitting Then when Ananya was 24 years old the day came for her and her father to fly their planes in the same formation through the sky They became the first father-daughter team in the Indian Air Force to fly their planes together On that fateful day Sanjay thought back to the little girl who gazed up at the clouds hoping to fly her own plane He realized that helping his daughter achieve her dream was one of his greatest accomplishments That was the biggest day of my life he said ANANYA BORN 1998 SANJAY BIRTHDATE UNKNOWN INDIA
ANANYA ALWAYS USED TO SAY I WANT TO BECOME A FIGHTER PILOT LIKE YOU AIR COMMODORE SHARMA ILLUSTRATION BY SALINI PERERA
