March 26, 2007 8:34 AM
Call for photos: moms/children with Down syndrome
For mothers of children with Down syndrome:
.For my Mothers Day project this year, I'm creating a web album of mothers with their children with Down syndrome. (and if someone out there would like to give me a present now, will you please make a pretty announcement out of the words above so we can pass it on in a more attractive way? I'm good with words and not much else :)
Most parents who receive a diagnosis of Down syndrome for their baby - especially prenatally - wonder What will my baby look like?
When Jonny was born (almost 15 years ago) the answers to this question were not as available as they are now. People like Cynthia Kidder of Band of Angels worked to answer that need by creating calendars and supplying them to hospitals to give to parents struggling with the news that their child had an extra chromosome.
Now the Internet has opened doors for our children to be appreciated for who they are - check out the photo montage created by my cyber friend Rebecca (who does web design - I can put you in touch with her!) based on the soon-to-be-released book Gifts: How Children with Down Syndrome Have Changed Our Lives. (Note to readers: please let me know of other sites with pictures of lots of kids with Down syndrome - not just one - and I will publish a full list.)
When parents want to know what their baby will look like, the answer cannot be exact, because people with Down syndrome are individuals - though they exhibit certain characteristics that distinguish them as members of a group (actually, our family has always thought in terms of "tribe" and especially loved the scenes in the movie The Eighth Day, a French film about a young man with Down syndrome whose vivid imagination conjures up - among other things - images of a Mongolian (his positive take on hearing the word Mongoloid) princess on horseback and dressed in full ethnic regalia who is his muse).
Perhaps to someone who hasn't known and loved a person with Down syndrome, these things look odd or weird - and Lord knows there are plenty of people out there willing to exploit those differences to make themselves feel better about their own basic emptiness (searching under Down syndrome at YouTube, I found plenty to be offended about - some of which I was successful in having removed).
But there is an inner glow and special beauty in the countenance of a person with Down syndrome who has been accepted, loved, and cherished.
Forty years ago children with Down syndrome were most often banished to institutions, objects of shame for their families. As recently as 1982 in the case of Baby Doe, a court allowed parents to deny their child a simple medical procedure that would have saved the baby's life.
As a parent of children with Down syndrome (we now have four - three added to our already large family through adoption), I am so grateful to the trailblazing parents who came before us, took their babies home to love and raise in their small towns and major cities. Through their quiet heroism, the future for today's children with Down syndrome was made possible.
As a Mother's Day salute - and in recognition of the many mothers who love their children with Down syndrome, I want to create an album of pictures of mothers with their Little Extras (a term I coined in 1998 in an article for World magazine called "My Little Extra: Lessons in Love from an Unexpected Teacher").
In addition to pictures of moms now, I would LOVE to have pictures of past generations too. If you have some in your family albums, would you consider sharing them with all of us?
As with my Apron Power album, I can add a caption up to 1024 characters long. So if you would write a little something about how having a child with Down syndrome has changed your life, I will include it with the picture. This album will become a permanent link on my sidebar as an encouragement to new moms.
This is not a contest, but simply an affirmation of our children and our motherhood :)
Please spread the word and hand someone a camera to capture the love!
Posted in Down syndrome | Permalink
Comments
That's a great idea, and I forwarded your invitation to my Down Syndrome adoption groups, including a group of us who have adopted/are adopting the children we found on Reece's Rainbow, an organization you have blogged about before. Hopefully you'll receive lots of beautiful faces soon! In the meantime, if anyone would love to see darling children with DS from around the world, you can visit www.reecesrainbow.com. Our family is the Spicer family on the homecoming page!!
I love this idea, btw! When my daughter was born to us with DS, I craved pictures of other little ones with DS. Thankfully the hospital stocked calendars by the local DS society, chock full of beautiful children. Six years later, though, I find that I often have to look twice to see if the child has DS...now they are only children to me and it just isn't the first thing I notice!
Posted by: Jill | March 26, 2007 4:14 PM
Barbara-
I have identical twin boys with Ds and will look for some pictures of us together.
THis is a wonderful idea!
Dana Haedge -Granbury, TX
Brenan and Brice-2 1/2 Ds
Posted by: Dana Haedge | March 26, 2007 6:26 PM
I love this! i really really LOVE this!! I am not a parent of a child with DS, but i find them so very beautiful. This is such a wonderful idea Barbara! I can not wait to see it all compiled!
~kristy in England
Posted by: Kristy | March 27, 2007 4:33 AM
I would love to be part of this. I need to find a good picture of the two of us. Miss K is 2. I will also post this on my homeschool DS groups.
Posted by: Beth B | March 27, 2007 5:32 AM
I just read on another blog that the recent Target Kids catalogue has a DS kid in one of its photos (page 31, she says). Just thought you might be interested.
Posted by: swissmiss | March 27, 2007 7:25 AM
I will go through my pictures of me and Joey to find one for you! Do I email it to you?
Posted by: Jessica | March 27, 2007 11:16 AM
I think this is great! When my daughter was first born, all I really wanted to see were pictures of children with T21 - imagine my surprise and subsequent gratification to discover how beautiful they were! Seeing that beauty had a big impact on my ability to accept what I was afraid would be an ugly life...it was the begining of my own evolution.
Anyway, as I do think our kiddos faces make a very powerful statement, I do have a photo gallery on my blog that you might be interested in. It reminds me that I am long overdue in updating it...I think your call for photographs is spreading!:)
I will see if I can dig up one of my daughter and me...not so easy though, I am always behind the lens!
The link for the photo gallery is: http://wonderbabe.blogspot.com/2005/04/beautiful-faces-t21-collection.html
Posted by: Emily Elizabeth | March 27, 2007 1:45 PM
I have an online photo album as well, you are welcome to use any of the pictures there. I have one of the girls and I that I will email you!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imperfectchristian/
Posted by: Imperfect Christian | March 28, 2007 3:56 PM
Hi,
My name is Barb and I have also been blessed with the opportunity to adopt a child who happens to have DS. Please check out our website and my son's personal video on the front page titled: Meet Kaleb! www.lapeerspider.org
Barb
Posted by: Barbara McDonald | March 31, 2007 12:58 PM
Barbara,
I have a friend with a little girl with D, and will definitely check with her on this. It's an awesome thing you're doing.
I added your site to my blogroll today. I'm kind of new to blogging and hope you will have a moment to stop by when possible.
Many blessings!
Bonnie @
Grandparents Corner
Posted by: Grandparents Corner | April 4, 2007 6:11 PM
How do I send a photo of me and my son Joe?
-Amy
Posted by: Amy DeRogatis | April 11, 2007 5:23 PM
i would love for my daughter to be a part of your mother's day album. what a beautiful concept! thank you for recognizing the amazing moms of these amazing children. i am honored to be a part of this "tribe" of women who have been given the gift of raising and loving a child with down syndrome, especially those of you who have chosen to bring someone else's child into your family. you are angels. i will be forwarding a picture of myself and my beautiful ella kate. thank you!
Posted by: Chrissy C. | April 16, 2007 9:02 AM
This site is so wonderful, I remember when my sister was a child it brings such good memories, she is now 43yrs old and lives with me as of a few months ago. She is my Angel. I would love to meet some siblings that care for their sister or brother or anyone wanting to talk. I am going to make a link page on my sister's site and would love to add yours.
Posted by: Susie | April 18, 2007 11:40 AM
Barbara, what a wonderful idea for Mother's Day! I will get to work and get you a photo of me and the girls (my 5 year old Christina has DS). I am going to a support meeting tomorrow night, and will spread the word there.Robin Roach, one of the editors of "Gifts" will be there as well, and I'll be sure to tell her about this.
On my blog you can read the article I have just published about Christina's birth in "Faith and Family" magazine. Your writing has been such an inspiratation for me to spread the good news that Down syndrome children are indeed gifts.
Posted by: Leticia | April 18, 2007 4:41 PM
NEAT IDEA!!
I'm forwarding this to my friend Robin! I hope she sends you a photo of her and her baby Caleb! He's a cutie!
I can't wait to see the book.
Posted by: Jennifer Johnston | April 19, 2007 12:13 PM
What a wonderful idea! My husband and I have a beautiful daughter, Katie, who has DS. She's 7 months old and a bundle of sweetness. She and her big brother adore each other and love to laugh and play. I will send you a picture, and have forwarded your link to my moms' group (all of us have babies/toddlers with DS and are based in Richmond, VA). Best wishes and good luck with this super project!
Posted by: Megan Blake | April 22, 2007 12:37 PM
Hi Barbara!
I just emailed you picture of me and my daughter with DS. This is a very great idea! I'd love to be a part of it!
Posted by: Cecile Bermejo | April 22, 2007 10:47 PM
i am doing a project on down syndrome and found out all about it..it is amazing how kids can deal with this and still be happy..its just amazing..i think when i grow up i want to help kids like this..im only 15 now but ill get there
Posted by: Leah miles | April 24, 2007 11:03 AM
i lost my baby last week i was 20 weeks pregnant the doctors said by the blood work my baby had 1 in 35 chance of having ds the doctor was rude to me telling how if my baby was different i could not go to a department store and get another part all i was doing there was trying to get a comprehensive ultrasound the doctor told me i was too early in my pregnancy to get one at that visit i was 15 weeks and 3 days they gave me an appt for 3 weeks later when i went back i was 20 weeks and they could not find my daughters heart beat they said she has been gone by their measurements for 3 weeks my baby is gone people say maybe its best if she had ds i say she was my baby i would have loved with or without ds love is love its nice you are doing this because people should be aware of how many babies are born with ds and still are loved thank you lisa schrader
Posted by: lisa schrader | April 27, 2007 1:47 PM
Hello: I Have my siter living with me as of a few months ago who is an adult 43yrs old with Down Syndrome. She has had a lot of abuse and has health problems which some I feel is from the abuse. She has also gone blind and is depressed a lot. she has a hard time being able to keep food down was 79 ilbs when she came here. I made a page about her hoping to get advise and to talk to others caring for their older siblings with ds.
Posted by: Susie | April 30, 2007 11:49 PM
When C.J was born in 1998, my husband and I were only 19 and scared to death. We were told he had Down Syndrome about two hours after he was born. Nine years later and an additional two children, our life is complete and blessed. C.j is a gift and he, along with my other two children make me the proud mother that i am.
Posted by: Tammy | May 1, 2007 1:28 PM
When my beautiful baby girl was born in february 2007, we were devastated to learn that she had DS. In the days following her birth, we discovered that its not the end of the world to have a child with DS. She was still our beautiful baby that we loved and waited for, that will do all of the wonderful things that all babies do, and will bring us unbelievable pride and joy. Today she is a happy, healthy, loving little girl that we could not imagine our lives without. We learn as much from her as she learns from us.
Posted by: Roxanne | November 3, 2007 9:04 PM
