Life is a series of countless tiny miracles. Some people may have different names or explanations for such occurrences. It may be called co-incidence, science, but some defy all logic. It may be considered a bit backwards to believe in miracles. That might be the only explanation we can think of though. Plus, there is something magical and endearing believing in the power of miracles.Iris Grace was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old.
Her mother, Arabella Carter-Johnson was told her little girl may never be able to communicate, speak, or form relationships with others.
The family got Iris Grace a therapy dog but it didn’t work out. The child did not make eye contact and was immersed in her own world. Things changed when a cat belonging to a family member stayed with them over Christmas. Iris Grace responded positively to the feline.
“They settled on the sofa together snuggling up while PJ and I gazed at them in wonder. Before that Iris hadn’t really had a friend because she didn’t interact with others,” says Arabella.
The little girl also had trouble sleeping for years. Her first night with Thula, she slept calmly with the cat wrapped around her arms. Iris Grace gets into her bed and looks at her books while she delicately stroked Thula’s ears and whiskers or holding the tip of her tail.
Thula follows Iris Grace everywhere. “In the car, the cat sits beside her or on her lap and where Iris used to get fractious if we stopped, such as at traffic lights, she is now stays calm,” explains Arabella. “It’s the same if we go for a bike ride – Thula keeps her calm while we offload the bikes from the car. Iris even loves bath time now that Thula plays in the bathroom with her, where once she would be traumatized by just a drop of water on her skin.”
Arabella and the rest of the family cannot wait to see what new milestones her daughter will reach with the help of her loyal and devoted cat Thula.
