31 For 21: Day 12...Who Else is Out There?



Me with Andrew on his first day of preschool last December.

 So, I've now been blogging faithfully for 12 days now.  I've been getting some comments posted to Facebook so I know that some people are reading my posts.  For the most part, I've been storytelling.  I don't really think that I've been providing support or advice, I've just been reminiscing about the past.  That is going to change...tomorrow.  It's too late tonight to think about try to help anyone.  My mission behind my blog was to provide support and information to parents with a child with Down syndrome.  I can only hope to reach other family members and perhaps professionals who know a person with Ds.  But first, I need information from you.  I am asking for one little thing from you, my readers.  I would like every person who reads this post to leave me a comment.  At the very least, please let me know where you live and how you are connected to a person with Ds.  If you are not directly connected to someone with Ds, please let me know why you are choosing to read my posts.  If you are directly connected to someone with Ds, please let me know of your relation.  Also, if you have the energy, let me know if there is any topic that you would like to know more about...are you looking for more resources?  Research?  Support groups?  More stories about Andrew's achievements? Anything you want to know, I'll do my best to provide it.  I am writing not only for me, to remember Andrew's success, but for you, to show you that people with Ds can learn, can succeed, can be productive members of society, even when many "professionals" still provide out-dated information about our "kids".

You may wonder why I am thinking about all of this all of a sudden.  I think it was the email that I received tonight.  It was from the CDSC Buddy Walk.  I received an online donation for our Buddy Walk team, "Andrew's All-Stars" from an unexpected source.  Since I did not ask permission to use her name, I will not publish who the donation was from, but I was touched by her note that was sent along to me.  It said...

"My daughter "M" was born 8-7-10....we are not able to go to the buddy walk this year but definitely want to next year...but I still wanted to contribute in her name and have been following your blog and saw your team name :)"

I was so touched that someone following my blog chose to support our Buddy Walk team.  I am so thankful for many reasons...first that she had been following my blog, and second that she chose to donate to our team in her daughter's name.  After I have received permission from each donor, I will be publishing the names of our supporters here. 

I do want to publicly thank "M"s mom for her generous donation to the CDSC and her support of Andrew's All-Stars.  I will email you to touch base personally.  Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful daughter!  As you can see, you will also be able to enjoy watching your daughter achieve all of her milestones and the triumph that you will feel in your heart when she does.  She will bring a joy to your family that will be unique.  And you will learn much more from her than she will ever learn from you.  I am looking forward to talking with you and hope that we can connect sometime to get our children together!

So, please let me know about you buy leaving a comment below..  To review, here is what I want to know about you:

Where you live and how you are connected to a person with Ds. 
If you are not directly connected to someone with Ds, please let me know why you are choosing to read my posts. 
If you are directly connected to someone with Ds, please let me know of your relation. 
Also, if you have the energy, let me know if there is any topic that you would like to know more about...are you looking for more resources?  Research?  Support groups?  More stories about Andrew's achievements?

Thanks to everyone for supporting this exercise.  Have a GREAT night!

Kim  :)