Another newspaper article ...

We had another article written about us and our adoption ... this time in the Bull Run Observer. There is not an online link, so I'll try to type it up in my spare time. ;)

Last words from John McCain

"There is nothing in life like a child that you can nurture and love. The reciprocation of that love and nurturing is a thousand times more beneficial to you than it is to the child."

Promoting Awareness {Myth vs. Truth}

Myth:Down syndrome is a rare genetic disorder.
Truth: Down syndrome is the most commonly occuring genetic condition. One of every 800 to 1,000 live births is a child with Down syndrome.

Myth:Most children with Ds are born to older parents.
Truth:Eighty percent of children born with Ds are born to women younger than the age of 35 due to the higher fertility rates.

Myth:People with Ds have severe cognitive delays.
Truth:Most people with Ds have cognitive delays that are mild to moderate. IQ is not an adequate measure of the functional status of people with Ds. People with Ds have great potential if given opportunities.

Myth:People with Ds cannot form interpersonal relationships, marry or have children.
Truth:People with Ds date and marry and it is possible for women with Ds to have children. There is a 50 percent chance that the child will have Ds. While extremely rare, men with Ds can father children.

Myth:People with Ds have a short life span.
Truth:Life expectancy for people with Ds has increased dramatically in recent years. Most reach 55 years or older depending upon medical issues.

Spreading Awareness {Down syndrome style}

Don't Pity Me
By: Joanne Green
Don't pity me
because my child was not born
"perfect", for in {her} imperfection I have
learned to see beauty that is deeper
than the flesh.

Don't pity me
because my child and I have faced challenges
that have served to forge
a bond much deeper than love.

Don't pity me,
because you could not have done this,
for I thought that too once,
before I learned that through love you can do
a great many things you once couldn't do.

Don't pity me,
my child is the greatest blessing to ever touch my life
I am rich to have {her}, and richer still for
the experience of knowing {her}.
And if you are truly my friend,
then you will understand.

And please,
Don't Pity Me.