Chloë Sabrina Dator 

Chloë Sabrina Dator passed away suddenly on August 12, 2006, at the tender age of 18 in her home in Sonoma.  She was born on the island  of Oahu, Hawaii, on June19, 1988.

Chloë attended a Preschool for children with speech delays in Sonoma in 1992 and El Verano Elementary School in 1993 for Kindergarten.  When the Sonoma Charter School opened its doors in 1994, Chloë entered as a Kindergartener again so that she would become a member of the student body from the ground up.  While at the Charter School, Chloë attended regular classes with an aide and was involved in all school activities participating in plays, dances, and multicultural festivals, including playing drums in the School Band.  Chloë was the top fundraiser at the Charter School for the last 2 years of attendance as well as the top fundraiser with Campfire Boys and Girls for 3 years.

Her love of dance, music, and sports led to her participation in many outside extracurricular activities from the age of 4 years.  She attended ballet classes for 11 years, piano for 8 years and Special Olympics, track, tennis, and swimming for 2 years.  She loved performing on stage in ballet and piano recitals, and her competitive sports spirit resulted in top placements and ribbons.  She also participated in bowling competitions and Challenger Little League softball.

Her hobbies were shopping, attending pop concerts and Broadway plays, anything Disney, singing, dancing, and listening to music, but above all, Chloë loved books and reading.  Ever since she was a little girl Chloë would go to bed clutching a book instead of a doll or a stuffed animal.

Chloë attended Sonoma Valley High School in2003 as a full-inclusion student through her junior year.  She would have been a senior in 2006-2007.  Her ambition was to work in the entertainment industry or arts field after attending junior college.

Chloë was a beautiful girl with a warm, generous, and most loving spirit that continually attracted others and drew them into her circle.  She was vibrant, playful and engaging in an innocent way with her wonderful sense of humor.  What made Chloë all the more remarkable was the fact that she was a child who had Down Syndrome.  Her accomplishments were many.  She was a fantastic artist with a unique perspective whether the medium was paper or clay.  She could memorize a whole page of Shakespeare dialogue before any of her typically-developing peers and was poised to take on small acting roles after registering with a talent agency.  She had leadership capabilities and she could master skills that many people thought were impossible for someone with her genetic condition.

Her loss to the world is great since she was a testament to success in school, in community activities, and in her life.  She was living proof that with the proper placements and supports, parental commitment and determination, and given enough opportunities, any child can succeed despite disabilities and limitations.

Written by Dani Dator, August 2006