My daughter Rachel, who has Down syndrome, was born in 1999. Rachel attended public school and participated in the general education classroom and the same activities as her friends. She graduated with a diploma in 2018. She attended a college […]
Happy 25th Birthday, Rachel! Twenty-five years have passed too quickly. I often find myself reflecting near your birthday. I think about how you and we have been loved and embraced- even before you were born. I think about the way […]
World Down Syndrome Day (#WDSD21) is Thursday, March 21. It is a day recognized by the UN, countries, and organizations around the world where we celebrate the lives of individuals with Down syndrome. We also try to raise awareness and […]
Dear Rachel, How are you 24? Wasn’t it only yesterday that you announced your arrival with a loud scream and those precious little hands in the air? Those blue eyes had me from the start. For many years, one of […]
Last year during National Down Syndrome Awareness Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month, I shared “My Real Thoughts About Adult Life” in what became one of my most popular blogs ever. Rachel had just gone to work at a […]
I’m reviving an old blog, Auditions: Paralyzed by Fear. Originally written in 2011, I talk about how Rachel became involved in theatre and her first audition paved the way for me to overcome my own fears. During National Down Syndrome […]
Yesterday was World Cancer Day. My husband Jonathan is almost 23 years cancer free. He had a colorectal tumor removed 23 years ago yesterday. We are blessed. Twenty-three years ago today, our world changed forever when we learned our unborn […]
A few weeks back I wrote a blog about my real feelings and thoughts about adult life. Almost 1,000 hits in two days. That’s a big number for me. I also had a plethora of Facebook comments, and many of […]
This blog has been hard for me to write. Almost didn’t write it. Emotional. But here we go. Rachel just got a job at a local grocery store chain. She is a courtesy clerk which is just a fancy name […]
Today, Rachel turns 22. The week of her birthday, I usually find myself reflecting a lot on years gone by. We have had some standout birthday bashes to celebrate this girl. From ladybug, Veggie Tales, Elmo, Hannah Montana, Build-a-Bear, Pump-it-Up, […]