By Cathy Free
Dani and Rudy Izzie with their twins Lavinia, and Giorgiana in August 2021
... “Her disability was not a dealbreaker (click here) — we didn’t even talk about it for the first couple of dates,” added Rudy Izzie, 38. “We really connected. And of course, I thought she was very beautiful.”
The pair found they had a lot in common: they both grew up in Virginia and loved the outdoors, and Dani worked in digital marketing while Rudy was in digital sales.
“He loved me for who I am,” Dani said. “I’d been rejected a lot in the past. But he had no qualms about me having a disability.”
They married in 2018 and moved into a home in Culpeper County, Va.
Soon, the couple was facing a dilemma. They had always wanted a family. Could she as a quadriplegic provide her children with the care they needed?
“I had some insecurity and doubt, wondering, ‘How am I going to take care of a baby if I can barely take care of myself?’ ” she said. “Everyday life was already challenging.”
But as she thought deeper about it, she decided that while her husband helps her put on her pants and shoes in the morning, she does a lot to take care of herself — and her husband, as well.
“I came to realize, ‘Well, I do take care of myself — I’m healthy, I’m happy and I’m alive, and I’ve learned to do things in different ways,’ ” she said. “Even though I had a profound disability, I was actually pretty competent.”
Rudy was just as excited as she was to have a baby, but they didn’t know if it was a good idea medically....
... “Her disability was not a dealbreaker (click here) — we didn’t even talk about it for the first couple of dates,” added Rudy Izzie, 38. “We really connected. And of course, I thought she was very beautiful.”
The pair found they had a lot in common: they both grew up in Virginia and loved the outdoors, and Dani worked in digital marketing while Rudy was in digital sales.
“He loved me for who I am,” Dani said. “I’d been rejected a lot in the past. But he had no qualms about me having a disability.”
They married in 2018 and moved into a home in Culpeper County, Va.
Soon, the couple was facing a dilemma. They had always wanted a family. Could she as a quadriplegic provide her children with the care they needed?
“I had some insecurity and doubt, wondering, ‘How am I going to take care of a baby if I can barely take care of myself?’ ” she said. “Everyday life was already challenging.”
But as she thought deeper about it, she decided that while her husband helps her put on her pants and shoes in the morning, she does a lot to take care of herself — and her husband, as well.
“I came to realize, ‘Well, I do take care of myself — I’m healthy, I’m happy and I’m alive, and I’ve learned to do things in different ways,’ ” she said. “Even though I had a profound disability, I was actually pretty competent.”
Rudy was just as excited as she was to have a baby, but they didn’t know if it was a good idea medically....
