Below is a message from Dawn Zachmann, a superstar mother of a young man with Down syndrome and autism. Dawn is one of our exceptional parents who has taken her role as parent and grandparent very seriously, to the great benefit of her family and others. Dawn, mother of 5, brought her then five-year-old son…
It has been a few years since I have seen Gabriel although he has been a part of NACD since he was a little guy. His mom and I reminisced about how I kept pushing him and them out of their comfort zones to ensure that Gabriel progressed. He has always been a charming and…
Jennie – 33 years old 9-28-2017 Six years ago my daughter Jennie and I moved to St. George, Utah from California. My daughter has Down Syndrome and was 27 years old and had been in special education classes all of her life. At this time I was introduced to the NACD organization and Sara Erling….
by Santhi Bhupatiraju, as told to Iliana Clift The shock of the diagnosis was so great that I needed several warm blankets to calm my shivering body. Still waking up from the anesthesia and exhausted from hours of unproductive labor prior to the surgery, I wanted to know about the baby. My husband had begged…
Kaitlyn was eleven years old when she stumbled upon a book I was reading. She brought it to me and, as if she had just discovered a brand new planet, she exclaimed with a sparkle in her voice, “Mom, these kids are like me!” My heart skipped a beat— she was obviously ready to learn…
by Sue McFerren, as told to Iliana Clift I knew the risks of having a child in my 40s, and I intended to love and care for every child God blessed us with, no matter what. Still, when Sonya was born with Down syndrome I was stunned. Recognizing that having a special needs child in…
by Mary Beth Franzen Here we go again. One would think I would be used to this by now, but I guess I’m not. The current “career consultant” for my daughter, Rebecca, isn’t going to work out. Time to go back up the chain of command and re-think this process…again. More red tape, more time…
Arianna is 13 years old. She happened to have been born with one extra chromosome, a fact that is neither positive nor negative but certainly has been a challenge for her in many ways. As parents we learned that the medical term is designated Trisomy 21. We feel very strong about using that term. Verbalizing…
by Nancy Lyons It’s that time of year when many high school seniors look forward to being accepted to the college of their choice. In the Lyons household, there is big reason to celebrate, as Bobby learned that he was accepted to a college in New York state, where he plans to major in Sociology….
by Elisa Delfino How do I even begin? There was a time that I didn’t understand the new perfect angel that the Lord sent to me. I thought, “What do I do? Cry? Cuddle her and wish it wasn’t so?” As a mother I thought, “What can I do to fix the situation?” This time…