18-Month-Old With Down Syndrome 'Flies' Through Life in Photographs

 

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18-Month-Old With Down Syndrome 'Flies' Through Life in Photographs (ABC News)

by Genevieve Shaw Brown from Good Morning America:
When Alan Lawrence’s son was born with Down syndrome, he said, “it was a shock. It felt as though he would put limits on what I would accomplish, what my family would accomplish.”
Fast forward 18 months, and nothing could be further from the truth, Lawrence said. Wil, his fifth child, “brings a light to our family.”

Inspired by how Wil has enriched the lives of those around him, Lawrence set out to show not only how Wil has placed no limits on the family, but rather, “has opened so many doors.” He’s convinced Wil will do anything he wants to do in life.

Maybe even fly.

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Alan Lawrence

“When Wil was little, he would lie on his stomach and raise his arms and legs like he was flying. It wasn’t something any of my other kids did,” he said. “We all said, ‘Look, he’s flying!”
Lawrence’s photo series shows Wil “flying” through beautiful landscapes and everyday scenes.

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Alan Lawrence

The overall goal of the program, Lawrence said, is to “raise awareness around Down syndrome.” The photos have proved so popular that the family wants to create a calendar of Wil’s photos and then donate half the proceeds to two Down syndrome foundations: Reece’s Rainbow, which supports adoption, and Ruby’s rainbow, which helps young adults with Down syndrome go to college. The family recently launched a Kickstarter campaign.

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Alan Lawrence

 The family also hopes to take Wil’s show on the road. The Utah dad said that by photographing Wil in other destinations he could make the project last longer and hopefully raise more awareness. Wil's loved ones also hope to visit other families with children with Down syndrome to tell their stories.

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Alan Lawrence

“Basically, we want to flood the Internet with this good message," he said. "I want to give other people new to this journey messages of joy and hope.”
Lawrence is also hoping to help people overseas who don’t have access to the same level of care and treatment through his YouTube channel. He’ll put up therapy tutorials and also video the family’s everyday life.

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Alan Lawrence

“I see my other kids with Wil and they are so excited for this journey with him," he said. "He’s already taught us so much about compassion.”

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Alan Lawrence

Plus, said Lawrence, Wil is like a “rock star” in their neighborhood.

Maybe that’s what Wil will be when he grows up. That is, if he’s not too busy flying.

21 things my son has taught me

 

Caroline Richardson, from Harrington Park, with her son Joshy, 8, who has Down syndrome. She would like to educate people about the condition. Picture: Robert pozo Source: News Corp Australia

by Vera Bertola from MacArthur Chronicle Campbelltown:
1: Every chromosome has two chromosomes. Trisomy 21: on every 21st chromosome it has a third chromosome.
2: No two people with Down syndrome are the same. They have their own personalities.
3. They are not always happy all the time. They can get very sad, angry and frustrated, just like you and I
4. It is very common for people with down syndrome to have a lot of medical conditions and problems. But not all. Joshy is one of the few who don’t have a heart condition, kidney problems or major bowel problems.
5. Developmentally people with Downs can be mild, mild to moderate, moderate to severe. Severe and so on. Joshy is severe. He wouldn’t be able to cope in a unit in a main stream school so he is in a special school.
6. People with Down syndrome can have dual diagnosis. As well as have Down syndrome, they can also have autism, defiance disorders, ADD, ADHD. The list can go on.

7. People with Down syndrome can work in jobs the same as anyone else. Some can drive cars.

Mother Defends Herself Against Claim That She Abandoned Son With Down Syndrome

by Kennedy Ryan from KTLA 5:
A new mother accused by her husband of abandoning their child after learning the boy was born with Down syndrome went public this week to tell her side of the story.
Leo Forrest was born in Armenia on Jan. 21, to Ruzan Badalyan and Samuel Forrest.
Despite the diagnosis, Forrest considered his son to be “perfect,” he said in an interview with ABC News.
His wife, however, had “refused to even look at or touch the newborn,” according to a GoFundMe fundraising page set up to support Forrest and his son.
Badalyan was afraid “of getting attached in a society where defects are not accepted, often bringing shame on the family involved,” the GoFundMe page stated.
But speaking out for the first time, Badalyan claimed the decisions she made concerning her family’s future were the “hardest moments” of her life, according to a recent Facebook post obtained by ABC News.

Seeing the light: One mother’s story of raising a child with Down syndrome

by Melinda Carstensen from Fox News:
As a 30-something living in New York City, Gina LeVeque had an exciting career in journalism, a passport with stamps from Italy, and a long-term boyfriend. To an outsider— and even to LeVeque at the time— her life looked picture-perfect.
When LeVeque learned she was pregnant in the fall of 2007, she and her boyfriend celebrated. They talked about getting married and building a family.

But during a doctor’s visit that October, LeVeque— like hundreds of other expectant moms in the United States today— received news that would shake her seemingly idealistic world: Her child, which she had been carrying for about 14 weeks, had Down syndrome.

“You just have this sinking feeling of dread,” LeVeque, now 43, told FoxNews.com. “I had this thing in my head— I don’t know where it comes from— maybe it’s pride: ‘I’m healthy. I went to an Ivy League school. I ran a marathon.’”
When LeVeque recounts receiving the prenatal diagnosis, and the days that followed, the word “fear” peppers her description.

Couple arrested after boy with Down Syndrome found alone in neighborhood

A 6-year-old child with Down Syndrome was found alone in a stranger's driveway and now two people are facing charges. Gianna Caserta reports from Click 2 Houston.

Burglars raid Top Munch cafe in Strood, taking charity pot for Maidstone Down’s Syndrome girl Winnie Martin

by Jenni Horn from Kent Online:

Thieves who raided a cafe and took thousands of pounds of stock and cash also stole a charity jar full of money collected for a little girl.

Burglars struck at the Top Munch cafe in Station Road, Strood, during the early hours of Tuesday morning and stole about £5,000 plus about £180 for the charity.

The cafe, which has been run by Medway boxer Brian Sanders for the past five years, was raising money for to send Winnie Martin, for treatment in America as she is suffering from Leukemia.

A Dream for My Daughter With Down Syndrome

by The Stir Bloggers from The Stir:
I've debated posting this letter a million times. Mostly because I know I have readers who will not get this. Some readers won't because they love me and my family and Lily so much...they just don't ever want us to hurt. So to prevent that hurt -- or stop it -- they will say things like, "please just accept Lily for who she is. Just give her time, and trust that she is who God made her to be."
Some readers won't get this letter, because... they simply can't relate. As understanding as they might be, they will never ever know how it feels be the parent of a child with special needs. And believe me when I say, I don't blame them for not being able to relate. I'm in a club that I didn't choose to be in myself, although I wouldn't bargain my way out of it if I could.
I've learned too much, loved too much, grown in ways I didn't know I needed to, discovered little rooms...vast rooms...in my heart that I never knew existed since having Lily. I cannot imagine, and I don'twant to ever imagine, life without Lily; this letter has absolutely nothing to do with a lack of love for her or a desire for her to be someone else. She's my Lily, and I truly believe that quote at the top of my blog...the one that says there was no mistake here. I believe it with all my heart.
But there are some days when I dream....

Raising A Down Syndrome Child: Parenting Tips

by Asha from BoldSky Limitless Living:
What should I do next? This is the common question that all parents face when their babies get diagnosed with Down syndrome. Parenting a child with Down syndrome is a bit difficult than what we imagine. Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition that results in an amalgamation of birth abnormalities. You have to manage various physical and mental problems while parenting a child with Down syndrome.
For some parents, a routine ultrasound scanning may suggest that you have to expect a baby with Down syndrome. But, for some others, everything will come as a bundle of surprise and shock along with the baby. Whatever it is, face the situation with confidence and hope. Parenting a child with Down syndrome is no more a difficult task with the advance in medical science. Toddlers are at the right age to get trained to acquire many skills that will help them live an almost normal life. Consider them as normal children who need a little more care and support from the parents.
IMPORTANCE OF AN ULTRA SOUND DURING PREGNANCY
Since the responsibility to implement some parenting tips for Down syndrome is completely on you, your task will become a little thornier. Here, we may discuss some easy and effective parenting tips for Down syndrome.

Tokyo court stops deportation of Filipino man with child struggling with Down Syndrome

from Japan Daily Press by Maan Pamintuan:
The Tokyo District Court dismissed a deportation case filed against a Philippine national illegally residing in Japan. The 47-year old Filipino, who has a child with Down syndrome, was allowed to stay in the country to help the child receive the medical treatment needed.
Entering Japan illegally in 1997, the man was found by immigration authorities in 2009. The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau filed a deportation case in May 2012, which the man has sought to be nullified by the Tokyo District Court. His wife, who came into the country eight years after him has already acquired a permanent resident status. They have two children, with the youngest has Down syndrome and is going to a special school for the disabled. The child also needs thyroid medication treatment every three months.
Presiding judge Yutaka Taniguchi allowed the man to stay mainly due to the special needs of his child. He knew of the limited opportunities for “necessary treatment in the Philippines”, with minimal schools and teachers that offer specialized education, the kind that the man’s child needs. “There is a need to care properly for the child. But if the father is deported, the family he leaves behind will be in an extremely difficult position (financially),” he said. Though immigration officials noted that the child is already of age to adapt to life in the Philippines, the judge denied their argument and ruled in favor of the Filipino man.

How I told my 7-Year-Old son he has Down Syndrome

by Kari Wagner-Peck from Daily Life:
A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed by a local television station. The day they were coming to our house, I woke up at 2:48 in the morning, convinced I was going to have an anxiety attack. Part of the interview was to talk about Down syndrome.
Why did I wake in such a state? My husband and I had never told our 7-year-old son he has Down syndrome.
It isn't like the subject hadn't come up. But how would it help him to know at this age? Can a child -- any child -- understand what that means? Honestly, I find most adults, including educators and other professionals, know next to nothing about Down syndrome.
The other thing -- how would I do it? I can't adequately explain how Curious George is entrusted to navigate ships into New York harbor or why the tediously boring Caillou seems popular. How could I explain Down syndrome?

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But, now I had to. What if some kid's parent from school saw me on TV? What if they talked about him having Down syndrome? Then, what if that kid said to our kid at school the next day, "So you have Down syndrome, huh?"
My heart was racing during the next couple of hours as I lay in bed trying to turn this thing in my mind. Finally unable to contain myself, I decided to wake my husband.
"We have to tell him today!" I yelled, sitting upright in bed.
"What's happening?" came my husband's voice from under the covers.
"Wake up! We have to tell him he has Down syndrome!" I said.

School principal drags boy with Down syndrome

ABC-7.com WZVN News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral

from ABC 7:

Neptune Beach, FL - A mother and father are looking for justice after they say their child was pulled from his classroom by his private school principal and badly hurt.

Meibol and Cesar Suarez adopted their grandson, who has Down syndrome, after his parents were no longer able to take care of him.

They enrolled him in a school for children with learning disabilities, where they believed he would be safely taken care of.

But according to Neptune Beach Police Department, about three weeks ago, the 11-year-old was harshly disciplined in class and criminal charges could follow.

"This is my child. I have to protect my child," said Meibol Suarez.

Why having a child with a disability is not like being sent to Holland



"Its Not Holland" -by my uber-awesome friend Rhy from "life with talking trees": 

Why having a child with a disability is not like being sent to Holland.

This parable bothers me. It bothers me a lot. While it is certainly uplifting, it makes me uncomfortable, because it denies a central and in my mind, undeniable fact about the experiences parents of children with life altering difficulties face: It is much harder and more difficult to parent a child with a disability than it is to parent a neurotypical child with no health challenges.

In my mind, a more accurate analogy would be this:

Imagine planning a trip to Paris for you and your partner. You get your guidebooks, your luggage, your wardrobe and your plane tickets. You research everything about Paris so you'll be ready when you arrive. You make make reservations. You talk with friends and family about their wonderful trips to Paris and how much fun they had. The two of you talk everyday about how much you want to go to Paris and how amazing it's going to be when you get there.

You get on the plane and take off. Suddenly, without explanation, the plane is diverted. Then at 5000 ft you and your partner are yanked out of your seats, strapped into parachutes you only vaguely understand, and tossed out the door.

Some how you manage to make it to the ground.

Children's Book Focuses on Down Syndrome

by Lauren Estes from The Cullman Times:

Most children’s books are centered around characters overcoming obstacles, maybe a lost puppy finding its way home, or a brother and sister learning to share toys.

“Sammy is Special,” a children’s book written by Tom Witschi, teaches a different lesson to its readers. The book’s focus is on a child, Sammy, with Down syndrome, who moves into a new neighborhood and impacts everyone he meets. Witschi  grew up with an older brother who had special needs and said he was the inspiration behind the story.

“Sammy’s character is loosely based on my brother, Patrick, but I didn’t want the character to be specifically based on one person,” Witschi said. “For kids and even adults, it can be hard to understand why someone is born different, but God has his hand in that. When you can learn to look past someone’s disability, it can impact your life.”

Courageous cancer patient, 32, who lived for her baby with Down syndrome passes away on Mother’s Day

By Sasha Goldstein  from New York Daily News:

Courageous cancer patient, 32, who lived for her baby with Down syndrome passes away on Mother’s Day 

Rogers of Ladue, Mo., was thought to be infertile when she became pregnant with son Tristan. The family celebrated the boy’s first birthday in March.

Jorie Rogers just wanted to live long enough to celebrate her son’s first birthday.

She got her wish, but the mother who wasn’t supposed to be a mother, the mother who wanted only the best for her miracle baby with Down syndrome, lost her battle with cancer on Sunday, her second and final Mother’s Day.

"It's very special because not only are we celebrating my son's first year and everything that he had to go through to get here, but it's the one birthday that I'll get with him," Rogers said in March when she held a carnival-themed party for her son, Tristan. "And we get to celebrate the one year that we had together."

She had stopped treatment in March after doctors told the Ladue, Mo., mother that her paraganglioma, a rare form of cancer that caused dozens of tumors in her body, had advanced to a point of no return.

A Sweet Child with Down Syndrome and a Dog Show Life's Perfection

From HeathCliff Rothman:
We love the LOVE in this video. We invite you to share.

A Sweet Child with Down Syndrome and a Dog Show Life's Perfection
Sugar for the soul! A Sweet Child with Down Syndrome and a Golden Labrador reach across to touch each other ... Two tender creatures expressing their beauty -  and the Sweetness of Life. Remember: we ALL ahve a tender heart that beats within us. Show others. Creater of video unknown.