Hélène de Fougerolles in tears confides in her autistic daughter: "My daughter is not mentally handicapped": Current Woman The MAG

In an interview with journalists from Seven to eight, broadcast on February 14, 2021 on TF1, Hélène de Fougerolles made rare confidences about her only daughter, Shana. She was born autistic in 2003 from his marriage to producer Eric Hubert. On the occasion of the release of his book Don't worry, mom, it's going to be okay, which will be on sale on February 24, 2021. Hélène de Fougerolles confided, without being able to hold back tears, in her 17-year-old daughter. "Fifteen years ago, there was no diagnosis because either a child is mentally handicapped or a child is fine. But there is no in-between, confides without being able to hold back tears the 47-year-old actress. There, they begin to tell us that there is a big problem, but they do not know what it is ". The ex-Balthazar actress then had no choice but to place the little girl in a specialized establishment, a still painful ordeal for her mother: "We have no other alternative than to put her in a day hospital, it is a medical institute for all the peculiarities that are linked to what they call mental handicap. That too is a difficult word. There are certain words like that which do not pass, which do not pass yet today ", continues the actress moved. Shana's mother refuses to use words like "mentally handicapped" or "mentally retarded" to talk about his daughter: "She's different, she's special. And it's true that it's something that I can't take underlines the actress. I find it reductive to say mentally handicapped or mentally retarded. ""We're not talking about the magnificent emotional intelligence, the empathy, the kindness, the kindness, the heart of these people.", laments Shana's mother, before concluding, in tears:"She is not mentally handicapped, she is different. She is awesome ! They don't see it, it's their problem. "

A fighting mom

In addition to the release of her book, Hélène de Fougerolles also fights on the ground. Three years ago, the actress launched a real call for help so that her daughter's school, which does not evolve like all students of her age, held back by certain disorders slowing her down on a daily basis (dyspraxia, dysphasia, dyslexia …). Supervised by qualified teachers, Shana had managed to thrive. A tour de force!

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