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, āMom, these kids are like me!ā My heart skipped a beatā 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 Iām not. The current ācareer consultantā for my daughter, Rebecca, isnāt going to work out. Time to go back up the chain of command and re-think this processā¦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…
by Sue Mayer Today was a beautiful spring day, but someone forgot to tell Sam that news. He woke up in his usual fashion, happy and more than willing to give a morning hug and kiss with an enthusiastic, “Goooood Morrrrning, Mommy”. He even drank his juice (which for Sam consists of vitamins, coconut milk…
When our son Bill was born we had no idea what an extraordinary journey we were embarking upon. It has been one fraught with times of fear, disappointment, sadness, frustration and many roadblocks. However, the joy, the good times and his amazing success in all of his endeavors have far outweighed the bad. He has…
On April 19, 1983 we heard these words from a doctor, “I believe your newborn son has Downās Syndrome. I encourage you to take him home from the hospital, but he probably wonāt be able to go to school, run, read or write.” Those words were very sobering concerning our sonās prognosis. They were also…