| Notes |
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short by Robert and John Spoeri Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old. Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France. For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home. A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret. If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne. because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents. Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress. Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian. A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste. She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all. Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did. Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life. Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short
by Robert and John Spoeri
Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old.
Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France.
For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home.
A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret.
If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne.
because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents.
Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress.
Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian.
A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste.
She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all.
Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did.
Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life.
Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short by Robert and John Spoeri Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old. Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France. For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home. A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret. If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne. because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents. Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress. Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian. A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste. She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all. Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did. Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life. Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short
by Robert and John Spoeri
Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old.
Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France.
For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home.
A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret.
If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne.
because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents.
Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress.
Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian.
A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste.
She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all.
Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did.
Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life.
Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short by Robert and John Spoeri Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old. Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France. For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home. A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret. If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne. because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents. Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress. Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian. A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste. She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all. Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did. Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life. Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short
by Robert and John Spoeri
Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old.
Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France.
For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home.
A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret.
If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne.
because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents.
Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress.
Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian.
A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste.
She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all.
Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did.
Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life.
Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short by Robert and John Spoeri Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old. Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France. For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home. A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret. If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne. because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents. Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress. Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian. A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste. She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all. Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did. Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life. Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short
by Robert and John Spoeri
Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old.
Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France.
For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home.
A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret.
If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne.
because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents.
Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress.
Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian.
A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste.
She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all.
Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did.
Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life.
Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short by Robert and John Spoeri Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old. Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France. For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home. A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret. If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne. because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents. Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress. Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian. A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste. She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all. Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did. Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life. Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short
by Robert and John Spoeri
Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old.
Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France.
For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home.
A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret.
If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne.
because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents.
Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress.
Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian.
A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste.
She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all.
Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did.
Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life.
Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short by Robert and John Spoeri Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old. Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France. For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home. A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret. If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne. because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents. Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress. Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian. A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste. She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all. Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did. Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life. Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short
by Robert and John Spoeri
Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old.
Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France.
For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home.
A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret.
If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne.
because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents.
Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress.
Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian.
A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste.
She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all.
Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did.
Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life.
Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short by Robert and John Spoeri Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old. Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France. For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home. A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoeri. She is buried at the parish cemetery in Le Rouret. If the Selles family did not know enough about love and sacrifice before Anne was born, she certainly helped them deepen those qualities. Anne's parents, Didier and Jeanne chose to keep Anne at home. Their decision increased the hardships, but also increased their joys with Anne. because of her disability, Anne was not able to talk or walk. She also had some difficulty with eating and a susceptibility to infections and seizures. Despite these challenges, she went almost everywhere with her family. This included trips to visit her relatives in the United States, until her heath would not permit it any longer. Just last summer, she vacationed in Corsica with her family and her cousin, Elizabeth Spoeri Tracy, where she enjoyed the island's sandy beaches and warm sunshine. Swimming was her favorite sport, and Corsica gave her a chance to splash around in the Mediterranean Sea with her parents. Anne was very receptive to people and remembered faces well. Although she never uttered a word, Anne spoke volumes with her eyes. If you looked into her beautiful blue, soulful eyes, you could feel her happiness when she was smiling, as well as experience her pain when she was in distress. Despite her limitations, Anne enjoyed many of the activities of typical teenagers. Anne loved going to school and was close with all of her classmates. They were children who faced challenges in life similar to Anne's. Her best friends were Alice Guillemaut, a young girl in her school, Alice's brother Jeremy Guillemaut and their friend Florian. A great way to interact with Anne was to feed her. She would laugh, sneeze and make faces at whoever was feeding her. Anne's favorite food was a dish called "quenelles." She delighted in having a new hairdo and having stylish barrettes in her hair. Anne especially loved music, and her favorite classical piece was "Lake of Swans" by Tchaikovsky. She had a good taste. She also had a refined range of emotions. Music could make her laugh or cry. When someone woke her up in the morning, she always tried to manage a smile. She loved to hear her father whistle to her at breakfast; this was the sound she enjoyed most of all. Anne was fond of playing with "Beanie Babies" with her younger sister Nathalie. Perhaps her favorite object in life was a gift from her Aunt Darlene Spoeri. This doll went everywhere with Anne, even to the hospital. When Anne faced a difficult medical procedure, as a sigh of solidarity, the Raggedy Ann doll would have tubes attached to its nose, just the way that Anne did. Since her operation a year ago to treat her scoliosis, Anne was an even greater joy to have around the house. She went through a renaissance of sorts the last year of her life. She was in better spirits and better health during the last twelve months than she had been at any other time of her life. Anne should be in heaven right now because she is one of the few people who never did anything evil. Her legacy is absolutely positive. In that sense, Anne should be an inspiration to all of us to show us how to live. When Didier and Jeanne first learned that Anne was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, they asked themselves how they were going to manage their lives with a handicapped child. Today, they are surly asking themselves how they will manage their lives without their handicapped child.
Anne Selles: Celebration of Life too Short
by Robert and John Spoeri
Anne Selles died unexpectedly in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18, 2000 at her home in Le Rouret, France from complications from bronchitis. She was fourteen years old.
Anne was born in Versailles, France on October 5, 1985, not far from the famous palace where the kings and queens of France stayed. This may account for her having the charm of a princess. She was the second child of Didier Selles of Paris, France and Jeanne Spoeri of Illinois. She was the second oldest of the great-grandchildren of Clem Lane and Angela Lavery Lane. If you are reading this and you are younger than Anne, you are probably her second cousin. She lived almost all of her life in the south of France.
For her entire life, Anne had a condition know as Rett Syndrome, which is severely mentally and physically disabling, and which confined her to a wheelchair. Until shortly before her death, she attended special-education classes at Les Hirondelles ("The Larks") School near her home.
A Catholic funeral service was held for her at the parish church of Le Rouret on Good Friday, April 21, 2000. The parish priest officiated at the traditionally French funeral and burial rite. Both of her grandmothers traveled to the South of France to attend the funeral. Her Uncle, John W. Spoeri gave a eulogy in English, which Mr. Jaen-Marc Guillemat translated into French. The pallbearers were her brother Marc Selles and her uncles, Pierre-Yves Selles, Robert F. Spoeri and Daniel F. Spoe
|
1985 - 2000 (14 years)