November 1st - Halloween Remnants and Welcome to NDSAW!!!

These pics are too cute to get left out:

Ariel and her Preschool class today at their Halloween Party, all dressed up

Cool shades from one of her classmates

Elyse really pulls them off

And so we conclude the 31-for-21 Challenge and begin the celebration of National Down Syndrome Awareness Week (http://cdss.ca/ndsaw/about/):  I feel a call to action!  It's NDSAW, have I done enough?

In truth, I wish I could say there is another article coming out in The Spectator, or that I am heading some sort of new campaign for awareness, or running a fundraiser; but alas, I am but one person.  This year, I began small within my own community and my own association with the knowledge that the sum of our small actions often amounts to great things.

I sent a note to my fellow Down syndrome association members, with a list copied from the CDSS website of ideas we all could do to raise awareness this week, and then I shared the following story and words that I will end with here:

On a personal note, I felt I wanted to do something more to promote our cause.  Sometimes our smallest actions can speak volumes.

So, I took a chance, and I asked if I could read an article I wrote about my daughter Elyse, that tells her story of being born with Down syndrome, at my eldest daughter Ariel's local Pre-school co-op meeting. 

 

I sat there nervously, and I waited through the whole meeting for my turn to speak.  It was emotionally difficult to describe that time in my life to others, especially when I read through the description of Elyse's surgery that all took place less than a year ago.  

But, when I was finished, an amazing thing happened.  As I read through the last words in the article, I felt extremely happy in knowing I had done my part in spreading awareness about Down syndrome and not only that, but I was greeted with the warm thanks, applause and support of those around me.  

All of those parents also have babies, who will one day soon go to school with Elyse, and who have now been offered a very different perspective about Down syndrome, a perspective filled with love, hope and equality that I hope they will never forget.

I am not asking everyone to write an article and share it in front of an audience, but what I am encouraging you to do is to get involved.  Wear a t-shirt with a positive social message about Down syndrome (e.g., a Buddy Walk t-shirt), share your story with someone new, or choose your own way to spread awareness.

We all need to be the change we want to see.

Happy National Down Syndrome Awareness Week!