Since I've had Alice, people always send me articles about people with Down syndrome -- the amazing things they're doing and the awesome ways they're impacting the world. I appreciate all of these so much, and I want to share a few great articles and stories I've received. I hope you'll take a few minutes to check them out!
1. The Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Daugherty's daughter with Down syndrome celebrates her 3-year wedding anniversary
If you're familiar with The Cincinnati Enquirer, you're probably familiar with sports writer Paul Daugherty. He has two kids, one of whom has Down syndrome -- his 20-something daughter named Jillian.
Three years ago, Jillian got married to a man named Ryan. (You can learn all about her wedding here.) Reflecting on his daughter's marriage, Paul says this:
"They don't get caught up in the junk the rest of us do. No agendas, no jealousy. Calling them simple is a compliment. If only I were so simple. Jillian and Ryan's biggest concern in life is this: Whom they love, and who loves them. Easy to attempt, hard to achieve. For the rest of us.
They live completely independently, always have. No social worker-type checks on them. They shop for groceries, walk their dog, clean their townhouse, go to work, go on dates, make dinner, watch TV.
They make me smile and think every day. They show me what's possible when love is more than a word. Jillian once said to me, 'If you love someone, they'll love you back.'
Enjoy yourselves, your lives and each other. You guys have it figured out."
Yep, in this world wrapped up in status, image and preconceived notions, I'd say they've got it figured out.
You can read the entire article here.
2. Meet the high-powered Washington lobbyist with Down syndrome
Yes, you read that right. At age 31, Kayla McKeon is the first registered lobbyist with Down syndrome. In her role, she advocates for the National Down Syndrome Society, calling on senators and congressmen from her office in Washington, DC.
Her parents say that Kayla never allowed Down syndrome to be an excuse for her or to slow her down in any way. When she was two years old, she told her parents she was going to drive a car someday. Today, she has her drivers license. She cruises around her hometown of Syracuse, her workplace in DC or anywhere else she wants to go.
Read the article and watch the video here.
3. Kids with Down syndrome sing with their moms
OMG, you guys. This video is so cute. You can't watch this and not smile. Fifty moms and their children with Down syndrome compiled this adorable video of themselves singing together -- carpool karaoke style. The theme is "having a child with Down syndrome is wonderful adventure" and the hashtag associated with it is #wouldntchangeathing. I certainly wouldn't. :)
You can watch the video here.
4. Two cute kids (who happen to have Down syndrome) enjoy the Columbus Zoo
OMG, you guys. Again. This commercial is so sweet I can't take it. In it, two little kids meet up at the Columbus Zoo. They feed giraffes, go to the bird show and have an awesome day together. Oh yeah, and these kids happen to have Down syndrome.
Kari Jones, President/CEO of DSACO, said, "What we love is that this isn't a commercial about Down syndrome. It's a story about two kids who happen to have Down syndrome having an unforgettable time together." I couldn't have said it better myself!
Check out the adorable commercial here.
5. A young man with Down syndrome begins a very successful sock company
John Cronin is a young man with Down syndrome who lives in New York. He founded John's Crazy Socks when he paired his love of crazy socks with his love of making people smile. John's company was just created in the fall of 2016, but it was an instant success. By the end of his first month in business, John's Crazy Socks had shipped 452 orders and earned more than $13,000 in revenue.
Check out John's Crazy Socks here.
6. Sarah Palin celebrates her son with Down syndrome
When Sarah Palin was running for vice president, I remember hearing she had a child with Down syndrome and thinking, "Oh, that's sad."
The other day, someone reminded me that she has a little boy with Down syndrome. I thought, "Oh, lucky her!" Funny how you think Down syndrome is sad until you have a baby with Down syndrome or meet someone with Down syndrome, and then you realize the amazing gift people with Down syndrome actually are.
Anyway, I don't want to get into politics at all, but I did see an interesting article the other day about Sarah Palin and her son. She talked about how she found out prenatally that her unborn child had Down syndrome. This is from the article...
"I thought, 'God, unless you know more than I do about all this, how in the world would I handle this?'
92% of women who get that news terminate the pregnancy, according to research reviewed by Dr. Brian Skotko, a pediatric geneticist at Children's Hospital Boston.
Palin said she knew abortion was an option but was able to overcome the fear of the unknown to go ahead with the birth.
'I knew that option was there. I thought again, for a split second, 'OK, now I know why, when that fear strikes you... I understood why a woman would consider abortion an easier path to perhaps, if you will, do away with the problem -- instead of understanding that every child has purpose. There is destiny for every child. And it can be good in our world. And that's what I held onto.
My decision certainly wasn't a political decision. It was holding onto a seed of that promise that things will be OK if we choose life. And that certainly has come to fruition in my life.'"
You can read the whole article here.
------------
Seeing all of these great, awesome, motivated, successful people with Down syndrome makes me so happy. They're all doing exactly what we're doing. Some of them just might be doing it better. ;)
As for Alice, she continues to thrive. We are so in love with our baby girl! As she hits all of her milestones and amazes us every day, I know for a fact that she's going to do amazing things in the world.
Maybe she'll live independently and get married like Jillian. Maybe she'll be a lobbyist in DC like Kayla. Maybe she'll start a sock company like John. Maybe she'll do something totally different. Whatever she chooses to do, I'll be here for her every step of the way.
And for now, she's very busy changing perceptions.
1. The Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Daugherty's daughter with Down syndrome celebrates her 3-year wedding anniversary
If you're familiar with The Cincinnati Enquirer, you're probably familiar with sports writer Paul Daugherty. He has two kids, one of whom has Down syndrome -- his 20-something daughter named Jillian.
Three years ago, Jillian got married to a man named Ryan. (You can learn all about her wedding here.) Reflecting on his daughter's marriage, Paul says this:
"They don't get caught up in the junk the rest of us do. No agendas, no jealousy. Calling them simple is a compliment. If only I were so simple. Jillian and Ryan's biggest concern in life is this: Whom they love, and who loves them. Easy to attempt, hard to achieve. For the rest of us.
They live completely independently, always have. No social worker-type checks on them. They shop for groceries, walk their dog, clean their townhouse, go to work, go on dates, make dinner, watch TV.
They make me smile and think every day. They show me what's possible when love is more than a word. Jillian once said to me, 'If you love someone, they'll love you back.'
Enjoy yourselves, your lives and each other. You guys have it figured out."
Yep, in this world wrapped up in status, image and preconceived notions, I'd say they've got it figured out.
You can read the entire article here.
2. Meet the high-powered Washington lobbyist with Down syndrome
Yes, you read that right. At age 31, Kayla McKeon is the first registered lobbyist with Down syndrome. In her role, she advocates for the National Down Syndrome Society, calling on senators and congressmen from her office in Washington, DC.
Her parents say that Kayla never allowed Down syndrome to be an excuse for her or to slow her down in any way. When she was two years old, she told her parents she was going to drive a car someday. Today, she has her drivers license. She cruises around her hometown of Syracuse, her workplace in DC or anywhere else she wants to go.
Read the article and watch the video here.
3. Kids with Down syndrome sing with their moms
OMG, you guys. This video is so cute. You can't watch this and not smile. Fifty moms and their children with Down syndrome compiled this adorable video of themselves singing together -- carpool karaoke style. The theme is "having a child with Down syndrome is wonderful adventure" and the hashtag associated with it is #wouldntchangeathing. I certainly wouldn't. :)
You can watch the video here.
4. Two cute kids (who happen to have Down syndrome) enjoy the Columbus Zoo
OMG, you guys. Again. This commercial is so sweet I can't take it. In it, two little kids meet up at the Columbus Zoo. They feed giraffes, go to the bird show and have an awesome day together. Oh yeah, and these kids happen to have Down syndrome.
Kari Jones, President/CEO of DSACO, said, "What we love is that this isn't a commercial about Down syndrome. It's a story about two kids who happen to have Down syndrome having an unforgettable time together." I couldn't have said it better myself!
Check out the adorable commercial here.
5. A young man with Down syndrome begins a very successful sock company
John Cronin is a young man with Down syndrome who lives in New York. He founded John's Crazy Socks when he paired his love of crazy socks with his love of making people smile. John's company was just created in the fall of 2016, but it was an instant success. By the end of his first month in business, John's Crazy Socks had shipped 452 orders and earned more than $13,000 in revenue.
Check out John's Crazy Socks here.
6. Sarah Palin celebrates her son with Down syndrome
When Sarah Palin was running for vice president, I remember hearing she had a child with Down syndrome and thinking, "Oh, that's sad."
The other day, someone reminded me that she has a little boy with Down syndrome. I thought, "Oh, lucky her!" Funny how you think Down syndrome is sad until you have a baby with Down syndrome or meet someone with Down syndrome, and then you realize the amazing gift people with Down syndrome actually are.
Anyway, I don't want to get into politics at all, but I did see an interesting article the other day about Sarah Palin and her son. She talked about how she found out prenatally that her unborn child had Down syndrome. This is from the article...
"I thought, 'God, unless you know more than I do about all this, how in the world would I handle this?'
92% of women who get that news terminate the pregnancy, according to research reviewed by Dr. Brian Skotko, a pediatric geneticist at Children's Hospital Boston.
Palin said she knew abortion was an option but was able to overcome the fear of the unknown to go ahead with the birth.
'I knew that option was there. I thought again, for a split second, 'OK, now I know why, when that fear strikes you... I understood why a woman would consider abortion an easier path to perhaps, if you will, do away with the problem -- instead of understanding that every child has purpose. There is destiny for every child. And it can be good in our world. And that's what I held onto.
My decision certainly wasn't a political decision. It was holding onto a seed of that promise that things will be OK if we choose life. And that certainly has come to fruition in my life.'"
You can read the whole article here.
------------
Seeing all of these great, awesome, motivated, successful people with Down syndrome makes me so happy. They're all doing exactly what we're doing. Some of them just might be doing it better. ;)
As for Alice, she continues to thrive. We are so in love with our baby girl! As she hits all of her milestones and amazes us every day, I know for a fact that she's going to do amazing things in the world.
Maybe she'll live independently and get married like Jillian. Maybe she'll be a lobbyist in DC like Kayla. Maybe she'll start a sock company like John. Maybe she'll do something totally different. Whatever she chooses to do, I'll be here for her every step of the way.
And for now, she's very busy changing perceptions.
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