By Ann B. Martin, mother of Katherine, UPPED One day at church, a fellow parishioner observed my then 7 year old daughter’s awkward Galt, her flapping hands, and her loud wordless groans. She asked me if I had ever heard of the National Association for Child Development (NACD). This nationwide organization teaches parents how to…
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…
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…
Philip could not speak to be understood until he was four years old. At that point there were only a few words that someone besides myself and his Daddy could understand. We were very concerned. He couldn’t stand noise and began making dull repetitive noises when confusion surrounded him. Lots of pieces to Philip’s puzzle…
In April 1990 we were first introduced to Bob Doman’s program through prayer on our son’s behalf and the referral from some friends. Prior to this our son had been evaluated at age three with intelligence testing; screened for allergy sensitivities at age 7; and participated in vision therapy at age 8. All of these…
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…
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…
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,…