The nurse thinks he may have Down syndrome.” From where I sit now, I can split my life in two. There’s the time before we heard those words, and the time after. Before, we were probably like most people. We knew we were lucky. We were healthy. Our little boy, Timmy, was funny and strong and happy. We had jobs and a loving family. But until we were hit with those words, I don’t think we had any idea how fragile that luck can be.
—Aiden's Gift by Valle Dwight

excerpt from one of the essays in

GIFTS: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives

litte gold star calling attention to award 2008 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA): Gold Award

litte gold star calling attention to award 2008 Mom's Choice Awards Silver Recipient, Special and Exceptional Needs

Praise for Gifts

“This fine book helps dispel the fear and misinformation about Down syndrome that many parents and prospective parents face. As these deft essays convey, the world would be a sweeter place with more Down syndrome citizens, not fewer.” —George F. Will

“Gifts is honest and life affirming, a chorus of mothers proclaiming what every obstetrician and gynecologist should know - that life is a gift and an extra chromosome is not the end of the world.” —Beverly Beckham, columnist, The Boston Globe

“Through Gifts we hear the powerful voices of mothers who said ‘yes’ when others might have been saying ‘no.’ These mothers take us on their journey filled with wonder, courage, and the belief that children with Down syndrome can and will succeed.” —Brian G. Skotko, MD, MPP, Children’s Hospital Boston and Boston Medical Center Author, Common Threads: Celebrating Life with Down Syndrome

Sample Links from the Down syndrome Community

New Jersey: Network 21
Network 21 is a parent-run network for families with Down syndrome in Central New Jersey.

Best Buddies
Providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment for people with disabilities

Personal Website: Alexandra Rose
Personal website celebrating Alexandra Rose

Canada: Manitoba Down Syndrome Society

Arkansas: Arkansas Down Syndrome Association

Raymond Hu's Website
Rayond Hu is an artist with Down syndrome who is known for his Chinese brush paintings of animals, in ink and watercolor. A film documentary of Mr. Hu's life and work was made in 1997, and a book has been published about his work.

Signing Time
American Sign Language Videos

———

Browse our collection of Down Syndrome Links.

Having a baby
with Down syndrome is not something most parents would willingly choose. Yet many who travel this path discover rich, unexpected rewards along the way. In this candid and poignant collection of personal stories, sixty-three mothers describe the gifts of respect, strength, delight, perspective, and love, which their child with Down syndrome has brought into their lives.

The contributors to this collection have diverse personalities and perspectives, and draw from a wide spectrum of ethnicity, world views, and religious beliefs. Some are parenting within a traditional family structure; some are not. Some never considered terminating their pregnancy; some struggled with the decision. Some were calm at the time of diagnosis; some were traumatized. Some write about their pregnancy and the months after giving birth; some reflect on years of experience with their child.

Their diverse experiences point to a common truth: The life of a child with Down syndrome is something to celebrate. These women have something to say -- not just to other mothers but to all of us.

Learning love from Baby Grace

How GIFTS touched one family's life. Beverly Beckham at the National Down Syndrome Congress for the Boston Globe

. . . ."We had a week to decide," she said. Her test had come back positive, the doctors were somber, the literature bleak. And every bit of life experience she and her husband had was limited to feeling sorry for and frightened by every disabled person they had seen but didn't know.

"Gifts" took them beyond the stereotypes and showed them that "disabled" is a loaded and omissive word with all the bad left in and all the good left out. [Read the full article at the Boston Globe]

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