Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Troy mother of a child with Down Syndrome founds Special Miracles online community

by Rachel Dubrovin from KLEWTV CBS 3:
A mother in Troy wasn't sure what to believe when her second son was diagnosed with Down syndrome shortly after birth.

Reporter Rachel Dubrovin explains how the diagnosis inspired her to make a difference, and help thousands of other parents overcome the negative stigmas that are associated with having an extra chromosome.

"Well, it's just an extra chromosome," said Special Miracles Founder Sabrina Moyer.

Colton Moyer is a 15-month-old boy with Down Syndrome. His parents, Dan and Sabrina Moyer, said the diagnosis came shortly after he was born.

"I had no knowledge, or really any experience, or any information about Down syndrome, and so I think I was in extreme disbelief and shock," said Sabrina.

"There was so much to learn, and so many questions that the internet just couldn't answer," said Dan. "And it was a lot of concern of you know, what are we facing?"

"Everything's just thrown at you that day, that moment, you know," said Sabrina. "And you start thinking about things that may or may not happen in the future."

The Moyers started doing research on Down syndrome, and Sabrina set up an online community to update her family and friends on her findings and Colton's progress.

"It kind of just snowballed," said Sabrina. "It was on Facebook, I did have a website, and I guess there was a need for it."

Sabrina Moyer named the online community 'Special Miracles.' She created this Facebook page a little over a year ago, and now it has more than 33,000 followers.

"It's a community of parents and people who have experience with individuals with Down Syndrome, as opposed to if you go to a doctor, who may not really have the experience," said Sabrina.

"There are some individuals with Down syndrome, anywhere from teenagers to adults, that go on and they'll make comments about certain things," said Dan. "And it's very educational from their point of view."

"If somebody has an issue or a question, there's always hundreds of people that are answering them back," said Sabrina.

Now Special Miracles is spreading positive messages about Down syndrome worldwide, and it's helping parents understand what the Moyers have learned since Colton was diagnosed.

"You know, he'll be able to do whatever he wants," said Sabrina.

"It doesn't need to be hidden, there's really nothing about it that keep them from being any different from any other kid," said Dan.

"I wouldn't change a thing about him," said Sabrina.

Sabrina Moyer recently published a book about her experience as a mother of a child with Down Syndrome and it’s called "Wonderfully Made: A Memoir of Unexpected Joy". You can learn more on the Special Miracles website and the Special Miracles Facebook Page.

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