Resources

If you have just found out that your baby has Down Syndrome, I know you are in a
scary place. I know because it wasn't that long ago that I was in that same place. I
didn't feel equipped to raise a child with special needs, and I grieved for all the
things that I thought my baby would miss out on in life.

I want you to know that Down syndrome is SO not the end of the world-- far from it!
In fact, Mason's Down syndrome has added a special....flavor to our family. Once in
a while one of us will notice someone staring, but mostly we notice people smiling.
How can they help it? Mason seems determined to make eye contact with everyone in
the room in his shameless bid to win an audience for his antics!

I have met so many people that I otherwise wouldn't have, and experienced a height
of joy in the everyday that I've never known. I don't remember when my first three
children learned to put a toy "in" a container, or learned to take it "out." But I
remember the day Mason did, and I thought I would burst with pride.

Anyone who says a child with Down syndrome can never lead a "normal" life, or a
"meaningful" life is sorely misinformed. Did you check out our photo gallery page?
(Look to the left. There's the link.) And check out the link to "A letter from Kasey's
dad." He points out beautifully how individuals with Downs seem to have an inside
track to happiness. They have a gift for seeing the heart of the matter. And with all
that we've learned about the capabilities of people with Down Syndrome in recent
years, parents now have the equipment they need to help their child with DS
accomplish great things. (With my other three, we're pretty much on our own!)

I've heard it said that it's not fair to a family to bear the disruption that a child
with Down syndrome will cause. Here's a reality check: all children bring disruptions!
Anyone who expects a baby to fit neatly into their pre-parental life is in for a rude
awakening! There are no guarantees in life. Perfectly "normal" children get hurt,
become ill, develop diseases that nobody could have predicted. At 20 months, aside
from a few extra doctors appointments and 2 minor surgeries (my non-Downs son had
also had a surgery of his own by this age), Mason hasn't been that much more
complicated than the other three. Sure, we have therapy appointments. It's kind of
like Gymboree class, only they come to us! How cool is that?

In the near future, this page will contain links to other websites as well as references
to material that can help put your mind at ease. YOU CAN DO THIS! If you need to
talk to someone, even if you just need to vent your feelings, click on the "Contact us"
link to the left. If you still feel that you can't raise a child with Down syndrome, we
can put you in touch with families who are just waiting to adopt this baby.

Right now you feel as if the sun will never shine again. Trust me, it will. And you will
say to yourself, "Was that sun always this bright? I never noticed before!"