Texas high school student with Down syndrome voted Homecoming queen

Student with Down syndrome voted homecoming queen

Senior with Down syndrome voted onto homecoming court

The previous video if from last year’s Christmas project for Reece’s Rainbow, a nonprofit organization that helps children with Down Syndrome find homes. There will be a new Christmas campaign this year. Keep checking back to see what you can do this year to help.

Adoption is one of those truly beautiful things that a person can do for someone else. My father was adopted and several family friends have adopted children who otherwise would be going to bed every night without a hug, kiss, and an “I love you” if it were not for the love and willingness to adopt on the part of their parents.

While there area thousands of children across the world waiting for a forever family, one population is often ignored. Children who have special needs are living on borrowed time. These children have been abandoned because their parents could not afford to take care of them, or they could not handle the stigma of having a child with special needs. Eventually these children wind up in institutions and die within a few years due to neglect or lack of proper medical care.

Even if you do not feel personally called to adopt a child with special needs, you can help these children find loving homes in which they can thrive by spreading the word or donating time and/or money to help those who do want to adopt. Someone made the comment to me “Well, we can’t save everyone.” Which is true, but if we can make the difference in one child’s life, that is one child who will live knowing that they are loved and wanted. That comment made to me reminds me of the Starfish story where a man was walking on the beach after a storm and the shore was littered with hundreds of star fish that were washed up by the violent ocean. In the distance he saw a child picking up one starfish at a time and throwing them back into the ocean. The man approached the child and told him not to bother and that he could not save them all. It would make no difference. In response, the child picked up another starfish and threw it back into the waves as hard as he could. He turned to the man and told him that he made a difference to that one.

It does not matter what you do to help these children. The important thing is that you do something. If the whole world sits back and thinks that the task is too big. There is nothing that I can do. Then nothing will be done. It is our duty and human beings to help those less fortunate and to make the world a better place. Let’s face it. The world could use a little more love and concern for those most vulnerable to neglect and indifference.

Every year around New Year’s Eve, my husband and I try to take time out of the chaos that is our daily life and make goals for the coming year. We also like to reflect on the year that is passing and on life in general. I was thinking about this the other day when a commercial for St. Jude’s came on the TV. The one reminds us to be thankful for our healthy children and remember those who are not. It makes me cry almost every time. A reminder that it could be my sweet boy so sick and missing his beautiful, curly hair.

Even though we have to live with this syndrome every day, I have to be thankful. Thankful that we are not at St. Jude’s, but, if he did develop Leukemia or Aplastic Anemia, we live in a country where medical care is readily available. I am thankful for the doctors who, even though we’ve been to some who are not the most sensitive (complete jerks), are keeping a close watch on my little boy. I am thankful that we have pharmacies with the medications that we need right down the road because I have been to areas in the world where parents cannot get the medicines that their children need.

I wish every day that my children did not have to go through life with these syndromes, but I am thankful for my children and everything that they have taught me about strength, faith, and love. I am learning to stop asking “Why?” and rely on my faith that everything is going to turn out fine. I have realized that I am not in control (which is really hard for a control freak like me) and that I must “let go and let God.”

In this coming year, I am going to try my hardest to be happy, have faith that all will be well, and live each day to the fullest. This is what I want my children to learn for me. Every day is a gift and every moment that I have with my children is a blessing. Some days are harder than others, and I’ve had plenty of breakdowns, but I am going to try my hardest to make every day a fantastic day. I wish each of you a Happy New Year. May it be filled with love, happiness, and sense of peace. God bless.

He was born with Down Syndrome.

A statement released by her and her husband, Todd says,

“Trig is beautiful and already adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed.”

I am so happy that, though they knew before birth that Trig was going to have Down Syndrome, she continued with her pregnancy and is taking so much joy in the life of her baby. 90% of American mothers who find out that the baby that they are carrying has Down Syndrome choose to have an abortion. They believe that abortion is the best option when in truth they are missing out on what could be one of life’s greatest blessings.

To read more about Trig’s birth please read this article.

It is every parent’s worst nightmare: Learning that there is something wrong with your child. I remember that feeling all to well when a doctor told me that my son Luke probably had Cystic Fibrosis. I felt as though the room was shrinking, my brain went numb, and all I wanted to do was hold my baby and cry. It turns out that my son did not have Cystic Fibrosis, but a rare genetic syndrome called Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome. It was a very long and difficult road to diagnosis and there were many times that I almost forgot about the one person who understood how I felt the most. My husband.

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Article 1�

Article 2�

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Click here to view the embedded video.

Below is a good video of a baby using sign language. A baby will not do the signs perfect (When our son says “Thank You” it looks like “Eat” but we know what he is saying) but this will give you an idea as to what to expect.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While this article does show promise, it also reminds us that Down Syndrome� receives the least amount of funding of all the diseases and disorders that the government gives funding for research. If you have a child with Down Syndrome, it is very important to have a voice and use it to help those you love. Write letters to your representatives, tell people about your child.� There are medications that may help people with Down Syndrome, but unless more money is given to research, we may never see these drugs used in our life time.

An article about the 35th annual National Down Syndrome Congress convention held in Kansas City shows how much times have changed in just the past 25 years.

A family with five children find room in their hearts to adopt a little girl with Down Syndrome. Please read their wonderful story.

A review and description of the book The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, which is� a beautifully written novel on about man who gives up his daughter born with Down Syndrome and the effect his deception had on his family.

Down Syndrome, also called Trisomey 21, is caused by a person having an extra 21st chromosome in every cell of their body. It is usually caused by an error in cell division of the sex cells of one of the parents. When the cell divides, for some reason one cell receives both copies of the 21st chromosome. There is a form of Down Syndrome called Mosaic Down Syndrome where not every cell carries the extra chromosome. This occurs due to an error in cell division in the embryo.

It is important to know that it is no one’s fault. There was nothing that either parent could have done to prevent what happened. Many parents experience guild when they discover that their child has or is going to have Down Syndrome. Unfortunately almost 90% of mothers who find out that their child is going to have Down Syndrome abort the baby. Most people who have a child with Down Syndrome will agree that their child is the biggest blessing in their life. It is not always easy, but it is well worth it.

Articles Please click on the link to read the full article.

A woman comes to terms with her daughter’s diagnosis of Down Syndrome and finds happiness.�

Actor Chris Burke speakes about having Down Syndrome.

Learn about Lily, a beautiful three year old with Down Syndrome.

Another interesting speaker was Dr. Lawrence Leichtman. He did a presentation on Nutritional Intervention in Down Syndrome. Studies for Nutritional Therapy for Down Syndrome have been around since 1959 when Dr. Henry Turkel developed a formula that was widely used by many with Down Syndrome. Many vitamin therapies have come and gone since then but, unfortunately, some of these were developed by people wanting to take advantage of the parents of children with Down Syndrome. These cruel people promised a cure, when no one can cure a genetic syndrome. Studies have shown that people with Down Syndrome are deficient in certain vitamins due to the extra chromosome interfering with many of the cell’s biological practices.� In particular, people with Down Syndrome have too much Hydrogen Pyroxide which causes cell damage.� Also, one study showed that the nerons of a person with Down Syndrome died much quicker than� a person who did not have Down Syndrome,� but when treated with antioxidents the cells� grew normally. Lately there has been a resurgence of Nutritional Therapy for people with Down Syndrome with the latest formula being Nutrivene D.� Nutrivene D was developed by Dixie Lawrence, the mother of a child with Down Syndrome. She tried recreating the formula used by Turkel in her kitchen. She then turned her formula over to a Canadian based company, but it was then turned over to an American Company, International Nutrition Inc., where the formula is carefully moderated by a council of doctors that includes Dr. Leichtman. For more information, you can visit Dr. Leichtman’s website as well as the Nutrivene D website.

As promised, I was able to record many of the sessions including ones on Transitioning Into Schools and Inclusion. I think that these would be beneficial to anyone who has a special needs child regardless of their disability. We will release these as podcasts soon, so please check back for updates on their release.

It will take a few days after the conference for the podcast to appear, but be on the lookout for them.