by Robert J. Doman Jr. and Ellen R. Doman National Association for Child Development One of the areas of parental concern for the development of any baby is the area of mobility. Watching a baby learn to crawl, creep, stand and walk are thrilling to all parents. As a parent we can see our child…
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….
Dear NACD families, Like you I have a special angel in our family named Gitane (7 y.o.) and, like you, since she arrived nothing has been quite the same. Somehow my acting career and chasing different roles around the world turned into dedication to chase the betterment of my Down Syndrome daughter who could…
Such a simple word with such profound ramifications. If you look it up in the dictionary you’ll read: Hear: \ˈhir\ transitive verb 1: to perceive or apprehend by the ear 2: to gain knowledge of by hearing 3 a: to listen to with attention : HEED b:ATTEND <hear mass> 4 a: to give a legal…
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…
by Robert J. Doman Jr. Down Syndrome is the most common and best known of the chromosomal anomalies. The condition was first described by Langdon Down in 1866. Previously, the children with this anomaly were labeled as Mongoloids. The term was applied to these children because of the somewhat oriental look produced by the epicanthal…
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 Down’s Syndrome. I encourage you to take him home from the hospital, but he probably won’t be able to go to school, run, read or write.” Those words were very sobering concerning our son’s prognosis. They were also…
by Jenny Marrs When John was born in the fall of 1994, we were devastated with the diagnosis of Down syndrome. We were so scared about what kind of future he would have. Among the tons of literature we were given to help us understand Down syndrome, I found no silver lining, and I only…