By Yvonne I never imagined someone so small could teach such big life lessons. Nineteen months ago my eyes were opened to a unique world, a world I believe only a select few of us have the privilege to enjoy. You have to take time, sit back, and obser
By Jackie If I could choose only one word to sum up Gina, my daughter with Down syndrome, it would be “joy”! I know that it might sound strange to choose the word “joy” to describe a child with a disability, but I choose to focus on the joy she
By Marianne Tyler was born January 30, 1999 at 12:05 A.M. I remember my biggest worry at the time was how the new baby would affect our 13-month-old child at home. Would they like each other? Would anyone in my family ever sleep again? It was all
By Corrine I know it’s a cliché, but it is true—our children grow up quickly and time goes by too fast! Now granted my oldest is only six years old, but the other day as I watched him playing in the backyard, catapulting down the waterslide with the
By Tom I won’t apologize for being an avid golfer. I caught the bug many years ago. It’s in my bloodstream. I’ll never lose it. I love being outside in open space away from the rat race of everyday life. It gives me time to myself, alone with my tho
By Amy Have you ever bought a lottery ticket? You know your odds are stacked against you, but the chance that you might win big is too much of an enticement to ignore. How exciting it would be to get that prize. Week after week, you keep buying that ticke
By Joe and Linda On November 26, 1977 our daughter, Lydia, was born at Evanston Hospital. Two weeks later she was diagnosed with Down syndrome. At the time, we didn’t know anything about Down syndrome, and of course had no idea had what was in store for
By Janice When Sarah was born with Down syndrome 24 years ago, I made a promise to her and to myself that I would do whatever I could to help her achieve her potential. Now as an eager young adult, Sarah is someone who expects to accomplish things. Her te
By Linda and Bob The PACE Program is a two-year postsecondary educational program affiliated with National-Louis University in Skokie, Illinois. The goal of the school is to provide students with the skills necessary to allow them to become productive and
By Linda When my daughter Julia was born eighteen years ago, there were a lot of “What ifs.” When she was just three years old and jumped behind the steering wheel of my car, I took a snap shot of that moment, secretly wondering if driving would ever
