Yes, you read that right, day #2! You can find Day 1 on our family blog. :) There you will find one of my all time FAVORITE photos of Evan ever!! I'm going to do my very very best to post each day of October since it is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. I figured I would spread my posts across the two blogs for equal attention. I will post more family oriented posts on the family blog and adoption oriented posts here on P's blog.
Today I want to share a BEAUTIFUL video starring *the* Reece whom Reece's Rainbow was named after- the whole first sequence of photos are of adorable Reece, and then it goes into other cutie patooties who were adopted from Reece's Rainbow. The message is absolutely awesome as well. :))
Before I post the video, I thought I'd give you a little history of RR since many of you are new to the organization after learning our plans to adopt. Andrea Roberts, the founder, is Reece's mama, and lives right here in Maryland! From the Reece's Rainbow website:
Reece's Rainbow was started in 2004 as an outreach program serving new families with babies with Down syndrome at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, GA. The nurse who attended me post-partum with Reece, Mrs. Kim Wood, RN, called me one day out of the blue and asked if she could use Reece's name for her hospital service project. She asked if I would come talk to new families and share everything I have learned with them before they were discharged from the hospital. I was moved, honored, and terrified. Would I be able to face a new grieving mother? Would I be able to HELP and not break down again? YES.
Since that time, we have met countless numbers of new "colors" of Reece's Rainbow. We have made so many wonderful friends, and our life has been blessed in a million ways. Our network of friends and families continues to grow. But the one constant is REECE…the beauty and innocence that a child with Down syndrome brings to the world is truly one of Divine nature. God has led me through some very difficult times, but waiting on the other side of that "rainbow" for me was enlightenment, empowerment, compassion, mercy, and a tremendous "calling" to reach out to other children like Reece who were not as fortunate as he to have a loving, supportive family to grow up in.
In 2006, the program expanded to include promoting the international adoption of children with Down syndrome. By raising money to offer adoption grants on waiting children, we are able to give adoptive families the extra financial help they need to bring a child with Down syndrome home from a miserable existence in overseas orphanages.
I look forward to meeting Andrea in the future- she will most definitely be at the airport when we welcome P home!! :)) She already promised. ;)
On our family blog I requested my readers send me questions- any questions at all you may have pertaining to Down syndrome, people with DS, anything! I even welcome personal questions about life with Evan and anything you could possibly think of. Feel free to post them in the comments section- you can even post anonymously if you so wish. I will answer them in my blog post the next day. I would love love LOVE you to ask something as that will help give me ideas to write about for the next day! Hoping I will be able to find a topic of some sort for every day this month. :)
So now finally, one of the most beautiful videos I have ever seen!! :))
P.S. Just 5 more days left in the Birthday Bash Giveaway! Go enter to win an iPad2!!
We are in the process of adopting with Reece's Rainbow, and we fell in love with a little girl who did not have Down Syndrome and are hoping to bring her home next year. One of the things I couldn't find much information on as I tried to research Down Syndrome adoption was what the actual, day to day differences are with a child who has Down Syndrome. I am guessing it's pretty much hard to say because all the kids are so different, but maybe you could try to describe the differences? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me how hard is it to care for a child with down syndrome? How is it different from caring for a child who does not have D.S.? Thank you.
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