Admittedly, my Brendan is no saint. Being a toddler, Brendan finds it amusing to hide his shoes, empty every drawer within reach, dump the food from the cats’ bowls, and bathe in the dog’s water dish. But just like Saint Brendan, my Brendan is a navigator. Lucky for me! Since his arrival in my life was also a departure into unfamiliar lands, I need someone with his skills to help guide my way.
—Travels with Brendan by Tammy Westfahl
excerpt from one of the essays in
GIFTS: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives
2008 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA): Gold 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
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Gifts II Cover Photo Contest
Contest Deadline: October 15, 2008.
Sample Links from the Down syndrome Community
Alabama: Bringing Up Down Syndrome
B.U.D.S. is a non-profit organization that was started in 2003 that benefits anyone in North Alabama that is impacted by Down syndrome.
Louisiana: Up with Downs
Shreveport-Bossier area
Florida: Families Exploring Down Syndrome
Down Syndrome Research Online Advocacy Group
Bridging the Gap Between Parents and Down Syndrome Research
———
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]
Be part of Gifts Volume II
The second volume of Gifts will include stories about individuals with Down syndrome written by a wide variety of individuals, including:
- family members (such as parents, siblings, grandparents, and other family members)
- friends (such as neighbors, babysitters, and other associates)
- professionals (such as teachers, doctors and nurses, and therapists)
Submission deadline now extended to September 1, 2008. Complete information is on our Gifts Volume II page.
People are talking about Gifts!
Incoming Links
The Power of a Mother's voice..... (Posted 17 days ago) Well, actually, the power of 63 Mother's voices......... I had heard the accounts of this ... [Link]
Boston Recap (Posted 3 weeks ago) We returned home from Boston on Mon evening; unfortunately that morning started off with Lucas ... [Link]
My NDSC Experience (Posted 3 weeks ago) I arrived on Thursday at 2 pm to meet my friend Renee and her friend ... [Link]
Boston!!!!!!! (Posted 3 weeks ago) Well, we made it back!! Mayson did great on the airplane. Better than I could ... [Link]
a new dream called maya (Posted 6 weeks ago) i've asked myself why blog? after having this blog account for over a year i've ... [Link]
