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…
A study published in Nature – International Journal of Science confirms that individuals with extra copies of chromosome 21, as found in individuals with Down syndrome, have genes that block certain types of cancer growth. This may have far-reaching implications in the therapies we use to treat cancer. Most types of cancer are rare in…
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….
Have you ever wondered what it is exactly about the extra chromosome 21 that makes cognitive development in children with Down syndrome so challenging? Just this March researchers at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute published research that may have cracked the code on this one. The researchers have found that a protein called sorting nexin…
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…
April 8th, 2014 The National Association for Child Development and the NACD Foundation Announce the Appointment of Kaitlyn and Lisa Law as NACD’s Ambassadors for Down Syndrome. We are happy to announce that Kaitlyn Law, a 23-year old young lady with Down syndrome, and her mother, advocate, and cheerleader, Lisa, have been appointed as the…
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…