May 9, 2007 10:32 AM
Children with Down syndrome and the mothers who love them
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| Our Little Extras: A Mother's Day Down syndrome celebratio |
Here it is! Click above to see the whole album - try the slideshow. Please share and rejoice with family and friends. Although this is my gift for Mothers Day 2007, the album will be an ongoing project, so it's never too late to send me pictures to include.
Though I started working on the album a while ago, it seems timely considering the recent news that 90% of mothers receiving a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome are aborting their babies.
The following article in today's New York Times: Prenatal Test Puts Down Syndrome in Hard Focus - should give us all pause.
What makes a person disposable? Those of us who've had children with Down syndrome - and survived to tell the tale :) - would tell any parent that no matter the grieving process they go through at the loss of their dream of a "perfect" child, it doesn't take long to learn that the child we received was actually a gift in a different-looking package.
Here is what I wrote as a brief introduction to the album:
Our kids have a little extra. A little extra enthusiasm, a little extra innocence, a little extra charm. Oh, and did I mention an extra chromosome? The one on the 21st pair that inspires so much fear in parents-to-be.I suppose at one time all of us were fearful about Down syndrome. But take a look at our faces. Who knew how much joy lay ahead?
Having a child with Down syndrome has helped me see there’s infinitely more to life than intelligence, beauty and “perfection.” Each of us moms has received a gift we never would have thought to ask for, bringing lessons we never knew we needed to learn. The greatest surprise is this:
Our lives with our children have been less about us helping them reach their potential than about them helping us reach ours. This album was created by Barbara Curtis - mother of four sons with Down syndrome - one by birth, three by adoption. Visit me at www.MommyLife.net. And send a picture of you and your little extra to megamommy12(at)aol(dot)com.
Please visit the album and bookmark it. Share it with your mothers' groups and OB-GYNs. Most importantly, share with anyone receiving the news that her baby has Down syndrome and wondering what lies ahead.
Posted in Disabilities, Down syndrome, Mother's Day, Mothering, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink
Comments
What a wonderful testimony of our God's love demonstrated in the countenances of these Mothers. Their eyes portray some of what I think Our Lord's eyes must show....love, sadness, joy, grace, compassion, mourning, and an understanding of deeper truths......"God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame." E.B.Browning
Posted by: Papa Tripp | May 9, 2007 12:13 PM
"it seems timely considering the recent news that 90% of mothers receiving a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome are aborting their babies."
Not much surprises me anymore, but this statistic did. Surprised and very, very saddened. You see, I was told my now eight year old son had Down's when I was about half way through my pregnancy with him. While we would have happily welcomed a Down's baby into our home, all the testing proved to be false-positive. He does not have Down syndrome. My heart grieves for all of those Downs, and perhaps not Downs, babies whose lives are taken before they draw their first breath.
The album is a wonderful idea!
Posted by: Cheryl (Copper's Wife) | May 9, 2007 1:22 PM
I do not have a Downs child, but these pics almost make me wish I did. They're wonderful. What struck me about them all is the likeness you can see between mother and child. Thanks all you ladies for sending them in.
Posted by: Marni | May 9, 2007 2:55 PM
That was such a beautiful presentation! All of God's children are gifts to us. I like what I read on one of them...Our children are what makes us special. Amen!
Posted by: Miriam | May 9, 2007 4:03 PM
WONDERFUL, Barbara!!
Thank you!!
-- Tara B.
Posted by: Tara Barthel | May 9, 2007 5:03 PM
How beautiful! How wonderful, Barbara. The album is so touching and I'm sure it will minister to many. I love your introduction too. I wonder if you could develop a print version?
Happy Mother's Day! Hugs, e-Mom
Posted by: e-Mom | May 9, 2007 6:31 PM
Choosing to have a retarded child is a moral atrocity. There's no way to get around the fact that Down syndrome causes suffering in everyone involved. The parents who support bringing more people burdened with this illness into the world only want to extend their and their children's suffering to everyone else. They should be named for what they are - evil.
Every child should be loved and valued - but a fetus is not a child until he or she is born - and what kind of perverted monster do you have to be to want your children to suffer their entire life? Only the religious dogma behind the hypocritical "culture of life" is capable of sinking people to this level.
Posted by: HeroicLife | May 10, 2007 12:05 AM
Barbara, it is beautiful! Nolan and I are honored to be part of such a special project. Thank you so much for creating it. Happy Mother's Day!
Posted by: Catherine | May 10, 2007 12:30 AM
this is so so so sweet!! i love it!
kristy in England
Posted by: kristy | May 10, 2007 5:28 AM
What an incredible project. Everyone of these are beautiful. I work in a pediatric practice, doing coding and accounts rec, and when our patients with Downs come in they are so sweet and they never leave without giving everyone a hug. It is definitely like touching a piece of heaven.
Posted by: Bridget | May 10, 2007 6:28 AM
Thank you, Barbara, so much for doing this album. It is so beautiful, and makes us realize that we are not alone. Keep up your wonderful work encouraging moms!
Posted by: Erin | May 10, 2007 8:11 AM
POETRY.............that's what this is.......pure POETRY.
To all the mom's who sent a picture, thank you for sharing; your pictures have spoken to me today; you spoke of compassion, of mercy, of unconditional love and, above all, the greatness of God.
Catherine: your picture is awesome and the video you have in your site is priceless. I can't wait to share it with everyone I know.
Barbara, this was awesome. God bless you for sharing and for bringing all of this beautiful smiles together.
Posted by: LadyLovas | May 10, 2007 12:13 PM
Oh this is beautiful - a gift from the Lord. I think that as some of us find ourselves with a wee one on the way later in life, there's a common fear which strikes and lays hidden (surfacing every now and then) until we "know" for sure. What you have done is to dispel the fear. I hope many mommies read it.
-gena
Posted by: Gena Suarez | May 10, 2007 6:26 PM
My child has a question -- Why do they call it Down's Syndrome when these children are so happy all the time?
Posted by: Becky | May 11, 2007 1:25 PM
Beautiful pictures, Barbara. They make me teary-eyed. I borrowed your idea and posted a slide show of adoptive and birth moms with their kids, in honor of Mother's Day. Here's the link:
http://tinyurl.com/32socn
Laura
Posted by: Laura Christianson | May 13, 2007 5:57 PM
Was enjoying your site, especially the albulm and just wanted to send you this link. They are especially about finding homes for children with special needs and keeping them from being aborted.
www.chask.org
Posted by: misty | May 13, 2007 6:52 PM
