MOSAIC MOMENTS

I believe that everything happens for a reason and that God plans special babies for special parents.

In 2007 Scott and Beth celebrated their marriage in a very special way. Beth is a Special Education teacher and her friend Kristen was going to school to be a Genetic Counselor. Kristen also served on the Board of Directors for International Mosaic Down Syndrome Association . Because of these special bonds, Beth and Scott decided that instead of party favors for their wedding guests, they would donate to IMDSA on behalf of their guests. We at IMDSA were thrilled to be a special part of this very special beginning in this wonderful couple’s life.

Scott and Beth were eager to start their family and after two unfortunate miscarriages, Beth discovered that she was again pregnant this past winter. With a little apprehension, they held their breath as they watched their baby’s heart beat through ultrasound pictures.

They were thankful that their baby’s heart was beating strongly! Then, the news came that their baby probably had Down syndrome. Scott and Beth cried, but only for a little while. They were no strangers to Down syndrome. Beth was a Special Education teacher and knew children with this extra chromosome. 

Quite soon, Beth and Scott began a blog about their pregnancy and named their new baby boy Elijah Timothy. 

Time progressed and they discovered that little Eli had a heart problem. “Just an AV, nothing we can’t handle” was Scott’s reply.

More and more people began to follow their blog and then their Facebook page as well. Elijah had touched hundreds of people’s hearts before he was even born!

In July, Scott, Beth and Eli’s grandparents joined us in Cincinnati for IMDSA’s Research & Awareness Conference. Soon after, I received a message from Eli’s grandma on behalf of little Elijah.

To All

I have just returned from the Conference in Cincinnati and I would like to thank you and your entire group for the wonderful conference you had.  I learned so much and would like to take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of Eli (due in August.)

You have helped my mother, father and my grandparents so much.  Now they will have the knowledge and insight to know what I am capable of.  I have learned how to develop into a great person.  I can now eat, drink, sleep,not get lost, be safe in my home and not wander off, and best of all they will have insight from the benefit of your conference to know what I can and will be able to do.

I have wonderful parents and they are doing everything they can to make my life better. 

So please know you and your volunteers are the best.

Thank you again

Eli Miller  D.O.B.  08/25/09

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Two days ago, Beth wrote a very touching letter to her son …………………

Dear Elijah,

We are finally at the end of the pregnancy and you will be here in two days! These past nine months have been very long for daddy and me because we want to meet you so badly. I can remember how scared we were when we found out we were having you way back in December, but it was a great Christmas present! In January, we got to see our first picture of you. There you were on the screen. We all thought you looked like a little mouse in there. You continued to grow and get bigger! February 13th we learned that you had Down syndrome. From then on, Daddy and I did everything we could to learn about you. We met so many great people who are also excited to finally meet you. You have become one famous little boy!

Elijah, I promise you that we will do our best to make your life perfect. You have a lot to learn about including learning how to fish, ride a horse, play football, and root for UK basketball. There is a song that I teach the children in my classroom. It is called “I Can Do It!” Sometimes I sing it to daddy to irritate him. He hates it when I sing my classroom songs to him! Anyway, the song lyrics go, “I put my heart and my mind to it and I can do it”. I never want you to forget that. I never want you to think you can’t do something. You can and will and daddy and I will be there to cheer you on the whole way. Sometimes things may not be easy, but if you keep trying, you can achieve anything. Daddy and I have so many dreams for you. Most of all we want you to do your best at everything, be happy, be the best person you can be, and to show others that it is OK to be different.

Your time is finally up as you have proven quite stubborn about being born! Tuesday is going to be a long day for both of us. I can’t wait to finally meet you. I am also a little sad that I won’t have you all to myself as I have for nine months. Daddy says he is not going to ever put you down. You will have so many people wanting to hold you. I don’t think you will ever have to sleep in your bed! I want you to rest up and most importantly of all, keep your heart strong. Daddy and I don’t want you to scare us anymore! We will get your heart fixed in a few months and then it will work perfectly. We just have to take things one day at a time.

Our bags are packed for the hospital, daddy has the cameras charged, and the car seat is ready to bring you home. Ruby, Madison, and Cooper have no idea what is going on! They have been sniffing around your room and all your baby stuff like crazy. You will have to get used to them licking you all the time, but eventually you can aggravate them.

It seems like it has taken you so long to get here. These next two days will hopefully go by very fast. You are definitely worth the wait! August 25 will end up being a great day to be born.

Love, Mommy

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August 25th is definitely a “GREAT DAY TO BE BORN”!

Since last night Scott has been diligently updating his and Beth’s Facebook pages keeping us all in the loop. We held our breath just waiting for the news that Elijah was here! Finally, at 6:05 pm Elijah Timothy was born weighing 7 lbs 13 oz and 20 3/4 inches long. He and Beth are both doing wonderfully!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIJAH! WELCOME TO THE WORLD!

A few weeks ago, CJ of the Traveling Afghan asked all the bloggers that blog about Down syndrome to write about the ties that bind us together in the Down syndrome community. I think each of us who tried to write about this had difficulty with the project. Not because we didn’t understand or agree that there are special ties that bind us together, but because there just are not words to describe such a wonderful, overwhelming emotion. 

What are the ties that bind us together in the Down syndrome community? …………………

With  yesterday’s posting about the 90% abortion rate for those with Down syndrome, I thought maybe you would like to see what the alternative is to having a child without Down syndrome. This is done, tongue in cheek, but truly is the way it is for all children. As mom to 3 sons and 2 step sons -4 having “Normal syndrome” I can attest that this is sometimes way worse than having a child with extra chromosomes!

As I said yesterday…. there is NO perfect child!

Normal Syndrome

Since termination is such a common option for children with Down syndrome, why aren’t typical developing children diagnosed like this?

I’m very sorry, I have the results of the genetic tests and they have confirmed our suspicions that your fetus is what we call … Normal.

Some people prefer the terms “Ordinarily Challenged” or “Normal Syndrome”. The syndrome can be easily identified by a complete lack of any interesting genetic characteristics. I know this will come as a shock to you, but you should be aware of what this is likely to mean.

If your fetus manages to survive the rest of the pregnancy and the birth, which is becoming more common these days, he or she will face some daunting challenges. Children who suffer from normalcy are prone to health and psychological problems. It is almost certain that the growing child will suffer a seemingly endless stream of viruses. They will frequently damage themselves, and sometimes others, from their excessive energy.

Their relentless demands will put a strain on your existing family and, of course, your relationship with your partner will suffer, and possibly end in a painful and acrimonious separation. Any children you already have, even if they also suffer from normalcy, will be jealous of the newcomer and all their extra attention. Many siblings are liable to be psychologically scarred by the new arrival.

I need hardly mention the financial consequences, although disastrous, they will be nothing compared to the emotional turmoil your life will suffer.

After a while, you may be lucky and find they can be kind and loving young children. They may find some temporary happiness in things such as music, dancing, food or playing with toys.

But if they survive early childhood, a Normal child is almost certain to grow into a Normal adolescent. Your years of sacrifice will be thrown back in your face as they become disobedient, wild and reckless. Unable to find happiness and contentment, they will treat you with contempt until they manage to leave home. Even then the suffering will continue as they will often return to try and extract money. They will blame you for their own faults and leave you bitter and twisted.

They may well become criminals, over a quarter of Normals will have trouble with the law, many will spend time in jail. Many will have problems with alcohol or drug abuse.

Normal marriages are often unhappy and short and over half end in divorce.

Even if they become successful this is likely to be because of the often observed tendency of Normals towards excessive greed. The chances of them sharing their success with you are remote and they will tend to see you as an embarrassment.

Finally, Normal people are likely to die before their time. 23% will die of cancer, 33% of heart disease. Hundreds every year in this country alone are so distressed by their condition that they take their own life. I’m sorry to say that many will have had a lonely, painful and pointless existence.

I am afraid that Normal Syndrome is a genetic condition that affects every cell of the body, and so is impossible to cure.

Termination is an option.

Shall I book an appointment?

….. from a parent who received a diagnosis rather like this.

Bob Lincoln, author

Yesterday marked a very sad day for our family at IMDSA.  Last week we heard of a family who had received the news that their baby would have Down syndrome. Like any family receiving this news, they were shocked and afraid.  They were not unfamiliar with Down syndrome completely. They had an adult niece with mosaic Down syndrome. But in their minds, having a child with complete Down syndrome would be just unbearable. Last week, they went to a counseling session, but for some reason the father was not allowed in the room. So, this mother, scared and confused, talked with the counselor without her husband about the future of their baby. After the meeting she was resolved to abort this baby. Yesterday, although her husband was against it, sadly she followed through with her resolution and ended her four month pregnancy.

Many people may feel outraged that this mother choose to abort her baby. Some may not even care. I am not here to judge, but I do want to address why people abort their babies when discovering they may have Down syndrome.

Mainly it is out of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear that raising the child will be too difficult. Fear that they will fail as parents. Fear that having a child with Down syndrome will “change their life”.

Unfortunately, this fear is fueled by the doctors and counselors delivering the news of this diagnosis. The majority of these professionals never know anything about Down syndrome outside of what their outdated text books tell them. They have never had the opportunity to get to know a person with Down syndrome. Yes, they deliver babies that have Down syndrome, but within a few days those babies go home to be with their families. They don’t see their first smile. They don’t hear their first laugh or first words. They don’t witness the absolute joy of the baby’s first steps. And they don’t watch this child grow up to be an adult who later finds a job and eventually falls in love.

Instead, they tell the parents that having a child with Down syndrome will be a burden to their family. They tell the parents of all the worst case scenarios. They paint a picture of a very ill child who will need constant medical care that would skyrocket the family’s financial limits. They tell the parents that their child will not read or write. They tell the parents that the child will require so much care that their other children would suffer. They tell the parents that the strain will be far too much to bare and their marriage may crumble under the burden of this child. Then, they “suggest” (strongly) that the parents abort the baby and try again later.

Doctors are supposed to be right. They are, after all, the “professionals”. And, in a lot of cases, doctors are right. But in this case, they are wrong. 

People with Down syndrome can have health problems. They can be born with heart defects. They can have Thyroid disease, digestion problems, and even Leukemia.

Of course, so can everyone else in the world who doesn’t have Down syndrome. When a child is born with a heart defect sometimes surgery isn’t even needed. If it is needed, most children bounce back pretty quickly after surgery. If they have Thyroid disease, a simple pill a day will keep that under control. Digestion problems? It depends on what the problem is. Most of these can be controlled with diet, some require surgery or medicine. Leukemia? The good news is, if your child has Leukemia and has Down syndrome, they have a much higher survival rate than those without Down syndrome. Will it cost you more to have a child with Down syndrome as opposed to having a child without Down syndrome? Read Here about those real statistics.

Children with Down syndrome usually do require extra help in school, but that doesn’t mean they can’t read or write.  It may take them a little longer to get it, but they will get it.

Will your other children suffer?  Actually, current research suggests that siblings of children with Down syndrome are more positively affected than negatively. You can read that research here.

Without a doubt, having a child with Down syndrome will change your life! But not in the ways that most people think.  Having a child-with Down syndrome, mosaic Down syndrome, or no syndrome at all, WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Because having a child makes you a completely different person than you were before. You are responsible for another human being. And that is a big responsibility. The child will look to you for guidance, shelter, nourishment, and love.

And, if you happen to have a child with Down syndrome, then you may learn things a little differently than you would if your child does not have Down syndrome. Please make note that I said, “you may learn things a little differently”. Having a child is a learning experience. It doesn’t matter if they have Down syndrome or not. You will screw up along the way. You will NOT be the perfect parent. Your child will not be the “perfect child” either. There are no guarantees in life.

If you find out that you are pregnant and that your child may have Down syndrome or mosaic Down syndrome and you feel as though you can not be a parent to this child. That is Ok too. Some people just don’t feel like they are cut out to be a parent of a child with Down syndrome. But before you go through with your abortion, please keep in mind that there is a two-year waiting period for families who want to adopt a child with Down syndrome.

Why is there such a long waiting period?

Because over 90% of babies with Down syndrome are aborted each year and over 90% of families want these children more than any other child in the world!

No one will blame you for putting your child up for adoption. In fact, they may admire you just a little bit more for the extreme courage it took for you to say, “I want the very best for my child.”

Many who have followed me for a while know that I had to step back from my daily blogging during the last months of planning for our Research & Awareness Conference “Building Bridges for Down Syndrome”. All the planning and lack of sleep was worth it in the end!

We have families and professionals come as far as Australia and England and many throughout the US and Canada as well. This was, by far, our largest conference with over 350 in attendance. 

I received numerous emails after the conference saying what a wonderful time the families had and how much information they received from our 30+ speakers in the main conference. I am so glad that those who were able to attend did so! I really enjoyed meeting with everyone and getting to know the families better. 

Out of all the emails I received, there is one that has touched me the most that I really want to share with you. Many months ago, I shared a story with you about Scott and Beth and their expected baby, Elijah. You can read that inspirational story here.  

Well, Scott and Beth and Elijah’s grandparents attended our conference to gain as much information as possible about Down syndrome even before Eli makes an appearance in this world. The following was written by Elijah’s grandma, Debbie and of course…Eli.

To All

I have just returned from the Conference in Cincinnati and I would like to thank you and your entire group for the wonderful conference you had.  I learned so much and would like to take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of Eli (due in August.)

You have helped my mother, father and my grandparents so much.  Now they will have the knowledge and insight to know what I am capable of.  I have learned how to develop into a great person.  I can now eat, drink, sleep,not get lost, be safe in my home and not wander off, and best of all they will have insight from the benefit of your conference to know what I can and will be able to do.

I have wonderful parents and they are doing everything they can to make my life better. 

So please know you and your volunteers are the best.

Thank you again

Eli Miller  D.O.B.  08/25/09

The Miller’s were not the only family in attendance expecting a baby with Down syndrome or mosaic Down syndrome. I think it is wonderful when a family receives this diagnoses, even before their baby makes his or her way in the world, and are already seeking out information to help their baby become the best person that they can be.

When Tim was first diagnosed with mosaic Down syndrome, I asked “Why Me?” and “Why my son?” Now, 20 years later I know the answer to that question. It was so that I could bring information to wonderful families like the Miller’s and all the other families I have the opportunity to talk with, but also and more importantly, if my son was not diagnosed with mosaic Down syndrome, I would not have found all these wonderful families throughout the world who have taught me so much more about life than I could ever teach them!

Thanks to everyone who helped with the conference, presented, volunteered, and attended. We have, without a doubt, began Building Bridges for Down Syndrome!

Conference photos coming soon!

Tonight is the night! We have been waiting about a year for this day to arrive and it is finally here! Tonight at 10pm EST on Mystery Diagnosis we will have a small part of telling others about mosaic Down syndrome! This is a huge step for International Mosaic Down Syndrome Association as we will be able to reach so many more families whose children have mosaic Down syndrome and do not know that we are here to provide them with the support, information and research that we work so hard to provide to everyone!

Special Thanks goes to Holly Hannum for telling her daughter, Hannah Hannum’s story of being diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome.(MDS) and later mosaic Down syndrome (mDs). Also, special thanks to Sue Johnson for offering her daughter Isabella to play the part of young Hannah! Not many times on Mystery Diagnosis do you get the opportunity to have 2 individuals with the same diagnosis and both were diagnosed later in life. These families did a great job of telling the story and if there is anything left out we will totally leave that in the hands of editing at the Discovery Health Channel.

If you would like to discuss this story after the show, I will be on Twitter (if I can figure it out enough! lol) You can find me on twitter by just clicking the box to the left of this post that says “follow” on Twitter.  To find out more and read more stories look below.

On April 6, 2009 the American station, Discovery Health, highlights one of our families’ stories on Mystery Diagnosis. Hannah Hannum is one of thousands of individuals with mosaic Down syndrome who was diagnosed later in life.

The average age for individuals to be diagnosed with mosaic Down syndrome is 1-4 years of age. The most common reason for this late diagnosis is the lack of knowledge in the medical field on this rare form of Down syndrome. However, many individuals can go undiagnosed up into adulthood and there are still thousands who never receive a diagnosis.

For more information on mosaic Down syndrome please visit our FAQ’s of MDS

If you feel that you or a loved one may have mosaic Down syndrome, please contact us and we will be happy to answer your questions.

We invite you to meet some of our families who have received this diagnosis later in life.

Meet Hannah diagnosed at age 3*

Meet Isabella diagnosed at age 10 months*

Meet Ryan diagnosed at age 3

Meet Allison diagnosed at age 5

Meet Tim diagnosed at age 2

Meet Christina diagnosed at age 25

Meet Rachel diagnosed at age 6 months

Meet Emily diagnosed at age 18 months

Meet Aidan diagnosed at age 2

*featured on Mystery Diagnosis

International Mosaic Down Syndrome Association provides support, information and research to all individuals and families touched by mosaic Down syndrome. IMDSA is a nonprofit organization, and is dependent completely upon generous donations to continue its mission of helping families and individuals with MDS. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

The most asked question of all young parents of children with mosaic Down syndrome and for that matter parents of children with any form of Down syndrome is “What will my child’s future be like?” As parents, we all have that stigma embedded into our brains and the worry follows close behind.

Of course, there is no way to predict any child’s future. For me, and many others, we just take it day by day. There is a scripture in the bible that says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because today has enough trouble of its own. Matt. 6:34″ This is something I have lived by, or at least tried to, throughout my children’s lives. They have taught me that there are no certainties. There are no guarantees. You just do your best and give your children the most opportunities possible, you don’t hold them back and they will blossom to whatever that may be!

About 7 years ago, my friend Susan did just that. Her daughter Melissa graduated High School, got married to her sweetheart, moved all the way to Maryland (from Texas) and she and her husband Adam opened a cafeteria that they still run today. Melissa has mosaic Down syndrome. Her husband, Adam is Blind. 

I held my breath!

I couldn’t imagine my child moving across the country away from me. I guess I am a worrier. I admired Susan for being able to let go the way she did and let Melissa live her life. 

A few years passed and Melissa and Adam had their first child-a girl! Marianne is beautiful and Melissa is a fantastic mother and Adam is a great dad! 

Your first question…. I know…. No… Marianne does not have Down syndrome. Melissa’s affected cells are not in her reproductive organs.

In 2007, Melissa and Adam came to our Research & Awareness Conference where Melissa was our keynote speaker for the banquet.  Last year, they began making plans to attend this year’s conference! However, their plans were changed. 

Like I said…. You never know what the future will hold!

Instead of attending the conference they will be taking care of their new son Adam John. Little AJ was born Friday April 3rd at 9:22am. He weighed 8 lbs and 12 oz and was 21 inches long. Mother and baby are both doing good. AJ has a bit of jaundice and a small Cleft pallet, but he is simply beautiful and already very alert for a newborn! Marianne is loving her new baby brother and everyone is very happy and proud to have him in the family!

I promised Melissa that I would not share pictures of her right after birth! I know what I looked like after my kids were born and although I think Melissa looks beautiful even right after giving birth, there is no way that I would do that to any mother! So, here is a picture of Melissa and Adam at our 2007 conference at our after banquet dance.

The picture I am dying to share with you is this one! 

Marianne with her new baby brother AJ.

No one knows what the future will bring. But with opportunities ANYTHING is possible!

Congratulations Adam and Melissa! You have the most beautiful children! I wish you all the best!

When you are told that your child has Down syndrome or mosaic Down syndrome you immediately form an image in your mind. It could be a child you saw in school or down the street from your house that had special needs. Maybe you saw a TV show or movie about Down syndrome and that was your image. Or, maybe you had some medical background and you thought about all that you had read up on the subject. Whatever it was, I think everyone does form an image, and in most cases you discover that that image in your mind was completely opposite of the person your child has become.

For me, I imagined Scott. Scott was a boy in my elementary school who had some sort of delay that impaired his ability to communicate articulately and he had braces on his legs that clanged when he walked. Scott was unable to learn the way my other classmates learned and he invariably could not close his mouth completely which was unsightly during lunch. But these were not the things that bothered me about Scott at all. What bothered me is that his parents dressed him in black dress slacks, a white button up shirt complete with a plastic pocket protector for his pens, black dress shoes and black-framed eye glasses that slid down his nose despite the large roll of tape fastened to the middle. To me and my classmates, Scott was different because he dressed differently than the rest of us. If it were not for his clothes, we probably would have accepted him much easier.

So, my first thought, silly as it may sound, was that Tim would never dress differently than his peers!

But I know that many had other thoughts in their mind. Other fears that were unfounded later on. So, today, please share what those fears were. What did you worry about after you were told your child had Down syndrome or mosaic Down syndrome and what made you realize that those concerns were only because of the image you had formed in your mind?

As parents of children with Down syndrome or mosaic Down syndrome we often worry about so many things when they are first diagnosed. Yesterday, I asked what your biggest concern was when your child was first diagnosed. Most of the comments on this question were united in that they worried more about themselves instead of their child’s condition. I thought that was an interesting take on things, but not at all wrong!

When you first have a child, any child, your whole entire life turns around! All of the sudden you are completely responsible for this tiny life and your parenting instincts come into play. However, when you have never had a child before, this can be a very scary experience and it really doesn’t matter if they child has Down syndrome or not! In these instances from our readers these children were their first born. (to the best of my knowledge) So, of course they were worried about how having this child was going to change their life! And, when you add “Dr. I have bad news” into the equation, you are more than likely going to worry all the more! You worry about how it is going to affect your lifestyle. I think the biggest thing that comes to mind is that you wonder if you will have to make changes to the way you live. The answer is in some ways Yes and in some ways No. 

Yes, because you will find that when you have a child, any child, you can no longer jump up at 11pm and say, “Hey, lets go out!” Because with any child, every trip is a planned process of packing half their life into a diaper bag, and still planning around naps, feeding, sickness, weather, etc. And, yes, your life does change when you have a child with any special needs, because you do a few things differently than you would a child without special needs. You may have more doctor appointments. Your child may need therapy to help with developmental delays. You wind up learning a whole new language that only other parents of children with special needs understands! You almost always have a medical degree equivalent to at least an MD, just without the shiny certificate hanging on the wall. Instead, your shiny certificate is that beautiful picture painted, drawn, colored or scribbled that adorns your refrigerator door.

And then, the answer is also No. No because you learn that Life Goes On! And, because no matter what, your child is a child first! Your child will still be mischievous and get into trouble even though they knew better to do what ever it was they ventured out to do. Your child will still smile and laugh and love you unconditionally just like any other child. Your child will frustrate you, worry you, scare you, make you happy, make you proud, and make you wonder what you ever did without them!

I have five sons. Each are a challenge in their own way. And, each have made me angry, embarrassed, sad, frustrated, happy, and extremely proud. 

Is it different to have a child with Down syndrome or mosaic Down syndrome compared to having a child without extra chromosomes? Yes! It is different for sure! But different does not mean worse!

I am sure you all are tired of hearing me talk about our upcoming Down Syndrome Research & Awareness Conference. Well, maybe you aren’t… maybe you are actually learning something from it and maybe you are getting excited about it and are planning to come! I hope to be able to meet as many people as possible there! We always have a great time and the worst part of the whole weekend is leaving on Sunday!

So, today I am going to switch gears a little bit. I have a question that I want to raise to all the parents who have a child with any form of Down syndrome. 

When Tim was first diagnosed with mosaic Down syndrome, my main concern was that people would think differently of him. That he wouldn’t make friends. That people wouldn’t like him. I worried that others would see his mosaic Down syndrome before they saw him.

When your child was first diagnosed, what was your biggest concern? What did you worry about?  Was there something specific? Or was it a number of things?

Please leave a comment and share your story with everyone about your biggest concern.

It is hard to believe that we have been planning for our Down Syndrome Research & Awareness Conference  for ten months now! No wonder I am so tired!

On April 1, 2009, the conference registration prices will go up. Not considerably so, but this is our early registration deadline and the price will change. 

Many ask, how much it cost to attend the conference.  Well, it depends on how many you have coming with you!

If you register before March 31 and you are a member of IMDSA, the registration for the main conference is less expensive than those who are not members. However, you can become a member for only $25 and this will give you a free subscription to our quarterly newsletter MOSAIC WORLD that is packed with information pertaining to not only mosaic Down syndrome but also Down syndrome. These articles are all very helpful in raising your child no matter how old or young they are. You also will receive discounts such as this and our information packet full of info and inspiration. If you wish to become a member, even for the discount, that is ok with us! You can click here for more details. 

To register, click here for details.

We realize that many people are struggling right now to make ends meet and we want more than anything for you to be able to attend this conference! We are, doing all we can to help make it as easy and affordable as possible.  To make this easier, we have compiled a list of possible organizations that may help you attend the conference. Don’t be shy about this! Many organizations have funds set aside to help you attend conferences such as ours! So, please utilize this list!

IMDSA is offering two (2) conference scholarships to IMDSA members. Please click here for more details.

DSAGC is offering scholarships to families in their immediate area to attend this conference. Please click here for more details.

There are many organizations that have funds set aside to help families like yours attend conferences that will enhance your parenting to your child with special needs. If you live within the United States of America please click these agencies below and ask them if they have financial assistance available to help your family attend this conference.

Down Syndrome Associations

The Lion’s Club

The ARC

United Way

Developmental Disabilities Council

Yellow Pages for Kids

If you live outside of the United States and have a current VISA or Passport contact the following organizations and ask them if they have financial assistance available to help your family attend this conference.

Down Syndrome Associations

The Lion’s Club

United Way

If you have not yet seen our presenter list you can click here for that.

I am very excited about our upcoming conference and I do hope that I can meet all of you there! If you have any questions, just ask!