Down syndrome is the most common genetic anomaly, occurring once in every 800 to 1,000 births. Down syndrome is a genetic characteristic, like skin color and hair type. It is not caused by parental drug use, environmental conditions, or birth trauma. 5,000 children with Down syndrome are born each year in the United States. Although…
Tag: Home and Family
My Little Extra
What a child with Down syndrome has taught his mother. by Barbara Curtis My son Jonathan has a little extra. A little extra enthusiasm, a little extra innocence, a little extra charm. Oh, and did I mention an extra chromosome? The one on the twenty-first pair that inspires so much fear in parents-to-be. I…
Choose Life
The medical prognosis for Sarah Young is not good. Still in her mother’s womb, Sarah suffers from complications that threaten to impair her life. Her parents, Alan and Kendra, have chosen to keep their daughter and give God a chance to do a miracle. Here are some of the words from the expectant parents: We…
Love Big Enough to Share
Gaining more through letting go. by Mary Roedema as told to Sharon M. Knudson “I think I know who Kristin’s birth mother is.” These words hurtled at me during a telephone call from my new friend, Pam. My daughter, Kristin, had become best friends with Pam’s daughter, and she’d called our house asking for…
I Couldn’t Change My Son
by J. Grant Swank, Jr. When my wife and I adopted Jay, he was two-and-a-half months old. The only details we knew about his birth parents were some medical specifics provided by his birth mother to the social worker. Bringing Jay into our family was such a joy. We were rightly proud the first…
Lessons from Shela
We’re never too old to learn from our children. by Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress “Your daughter has a terminal muscle disease. She will never walk or gain strength but will weaken progressively. She has only six months to a year to live.” This pronouncement came from a doctor on Shela’s first birthday. As it turned…
What is an attachment disorder?
What is an attachment disorder? . . . a condition in which individuals have difficulty forming loving, lasting, intimate relationships. Though attachment disorders vary in severity, individuals lack the ability to show genuine affection to others. They typically fail to develop a conscience and do not learn how to trust. Symptoms of attachment disorder Superficially…
Hurricane John
by Marcia Alice Mitchell Fierce wind bowed the tree tops and buffeted the vines that grew against our house. I snuggled in our warm living room and watched Hurricane Carol destroy the familiar and redesign our street to a new beauty. At age eleven I loved storms, but this was my first hurricane. Before…
How Autism Changed My Life
A mother helps others by helping her son. by Laura Corby as told to Genetta Adair I’m not the same person I was eight years ago. That’s when my son with autism, Chad, was born. Although my husband, Wayne, and I had already experienced an autism spectrum disorder with our firstborn, Lexi, we hadn’t…
Homeschooling: Recommended Reading
Books Ballman, Ray. The How and Why of Home Schooling. Crossway Books. 1987. Fugate, J. Richard. What the Bible Says About . . . Child Training. Aletheia Publishers. 1980. Leman, Dr. Kevin. Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours. Dell Publishers. 1984. Moore, Dr. Raymond. Home Grown Kids. Word Publishers. 1981. Moore, Dr. Raymond. Home School…