This group..........

[Guest guest]

I've gotten alot of flack for my political beliefs, the disclaimer

for this site was even sent to me. But can I share with ya'll the

rest of the description? But before I do, please know that I DO

support our troops whatever soil they are........

" Are you looking for a list that offers 'one stop shopping' ? Are you

tired of joining list after list in an effort to cover all your

bases??

Would you like to talk to other parents about conditions that your

child may have such as a congenital heart defect(CHD),

gastroesphogeal reflux disease (GERD, hypothyroidism, etc.? Do you

enjoy reading posts about medical abstracts/research, vitamin

supplements , alternative and traditional medicine along with potty

training advice, a shoulder to cry and a place to brag?? Would you

enjoy a list that allows for ALL viewpoints to be discussed in a

civil manner and assumes parents have the ability to chose the BEST

options to help their child develop and grow?

Are you the type of person who welcomes all sides so as to have as

much information as possible to make intelligent choices in all

areas? Do you like to ask lots of questions and can you be open to

listen to everyone experiences with out judging, and tolerate honest

probing about your standpoint?

Then we have the list for you!!!

Our goal is to offer a place where you can ask about everything

related to Down syndrome(DS, Trisomy 21) and discuss anything as long

as it's done in a civil manner. We want to encourage people to bring

their viewpoints and experiences to the list so there are many

choices as all the kids are different, and what works for one, may

not work for all.

We aim to build and maintain a comprehensive file page that will make

navigating the web for informative sites easier. We will work to have

basic information in an easy to find file section along with items

you can use to teach your child and yourself.

Disclaimer- This list will operate from a pro-life standpoint. All

are welcome :-) we just want you to aware of our bias up-front "

Now, with that said - I'm a mom of 5 kids. Ages 22 - 11. My stepson

has DS. He is now 15 years old and is considered " profoundly

mentally handicapped " here in the state of Florida. He not only has

DS, but he has also been diagnosed with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, a

gait disorder, he's non-verbal, has a seizure disorder, had an AV

repair at 8 months old, he has a severe finger picking disorder

resulting in numerous staph and MRSA infections causing

hospitalizations, he has Dandy and requires an MRI every 6

months to ensure that it hasn't gotten worse. We got custody when he

was 10 after being removed from his biological mom's care b/c of

severe abuse and neglect. When he came to us, he was still drinking

out of a bottle, eating baby food and drinking formula - which was

fed to him, he didn't walk or communicate at all and she kept him in

a closet at night b/c he doesn't sleep and she needed to make sure

that she did. Since coming to us, he has learned to walk, is

communicating, is feeding himself the same foods as the rest of us in

the family and enjoys things we never thought he would, AND we are

making progress in the " sleep " department.

I work in a skilled nursing facility and advocate strongly for people

with disabilities. I run a local support group for families that

have children with various disabilities and volunteer in many

different facets of the " disability " field.

Now, if anyone wants to talk to me about my beautiful children, my

wonderful husband, and some really cool aspects of my life.....hey

drop me a line. If you still feel that my politics are out of sync

with those of this group, therefore making a person feel

uncomfortable about expressing their beliefs/views/opinions, etc, let

me know.......I'll move on.

~Jacqui