My story begins on June 7, 1992, when my husband and I received a call about a baby born in another state with Down Syndrome. On June 8, 1992, at approximately 2 p.m., one of the most beautiful babies I had ever seen was placed in my arms. As I looked into his beautiful blue…
Paul and Ann Stephens As I write this account, it is the day after Thanksgiving, 1996. How far we’ve come. How thankful we are that we found NACD. On August 23, 1993, our son, Camron, was hit by a car while riding his bicycle. He sustained serious head injuries and was comatose for four months….
Luke was diagnosed as hearing impaired at the age of 11 months. At 2 years of age an Auditory Brain Stem Evoked Response (ABR) showed him to have a severe loss in the right ear and a profound loss in the left ear. We went the conventional route with homebound therapy until age 3, then…
It is the desire of every parent for their children to receive the best possible education. We even choose homes that are located in the finest school districts. Educational needs of our children, from infancy on, become paramount. Most families, like us, have not felt the need to investigate alternatives to the traditional school systems…
More than ten years have gone by since my son was born. He came into our lives loved and wanted from the very start. In fact, this is true of all my children. I love my children unconditionally. Which doesn’t mean I like all the decisions they make, but right or wrong, I’ll stand by…
My firstborn, Daniel, was born with a chromosomal abnormality known as Down Syndrome. The medical term for Daniel’s condition is Trisomy 21. This means that he has three #21 chromosomes instead of two. This extra chromosome blocked proper nutrition to all the cells in his body before and after birth, resulting in a very weak…
by Pamela Merritt Nestor I held little Kathleen close as we stood before the window, watching James Edward follow his two older brothers and his sister across the yard and cautiously climb the steps of the school bus. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The fruit of six years of prayer…
I remember so clearly the first time someone said that Justin had cerebral palsy. It was over the phone, not even to my face. She said, Don’t be upset, Mrs. Johnson, your son has cerebral palsy. When he was six-months-old, I read an article in a women’s magazine which described a child whose abilities, or…
Our story begins on January 4, 1990, when I delivered two beautiful boys, 3 months premature. At birth, Michael and Mark weighed 1 pound, 12 ounces, and 1 pound, 12 ounces, respectively. The boys were given a 10-15% chance of survival. Michael and Mark are now five years old. They also have a six-year-old brother,…
Daniel started life at 8 lbs., and 11 oz. He did not lift his head after birth as well as his three older brothers nor did he seem to keep up with the milestones of the first year; yet his eyes always brimmed with excitement and he enjoyed being around the other boys. His favorite…