Kayla Craig is a mother, author, podcaster, journalist, and so much more. She and her husband lead a diverse family made up of four beautiful children -- including two adopted kiddos and one with Down Syndrome! After realizing how curious other kids were about her unique family, she put pen to paper and decided to write “Just Really Joseph,” a book to help young children understand what really makes a family. Today, Kayla is sharing about her motherhood journey, her daughter’s experience with infantile spasms, and how to have hard conversations about faith. We’re also touching on ethical and safe adoption, white savior complex, and the reasons people actually pursue international adoption.
Read MoreWhat does the future look like for your child with Down Syndrome? It’s a tough question that can overwhelm even the greatest planners. That’s why Phillip Clark created Enable Special Needs Planning (SNP), a company that helps families create comprehensive plans for their children, tailored to their unique abilities, which allow them to thrive each and every day of their lives. At the core of Enable SNP (and probably all of you) is the belief that everyone has the ability to be impactful! That’s why Phillip and the Enable SNP team empower families to begin planning for the future, today.
Read MoreWondering how to turn your passions into narrative-shifting movements? (So are we!) That’s why we sat down and chatted with some incredible advocates at the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network’s Rockin’ Moms Retreat last month! What a joy it was to interview Kristie Magnuson (mother to @gabe.the.babe.and.co), Tamara Pursley of the National Down Syndrome Congress, and Sinead Quinn of Grateful Wellness Co.! We’re talking about everything from t-shirt design to educator conferences and even mental health for moms of children with special needs.
Read More“My doctor told me that my baby would have Down Syndrome and then they brought up termination, so I came home and googled Down Syndrome and adoption and you were the first thing that came up..” the beginning of countless conversations Stephanie Thompson shares with expectant parents. A mother of a 27-year-old son with Down Syndrome herself, Stephanie knows the uncertainty that accompanies most diagnoses, and the desire of many to parent a child with Down Syndrome, so that’s why she created the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network. The NDSAN provides support, education, counseling, and perhaps most importantly, options, to parents expecting a baby with Down Syndrome.
Read MoreBuckle up, friends. Today we’re diving into an important yet tricky topic: abortion and Down Syndrome. You may have seen in recent news that many states are suggesting laws that allow for abortion of a fetus with Down Syndrome at any point in the pregnancy. You may have also seen that a few states have begun to enact legislation that would protect babies with DS against such laws. Regardless of which side you support, we invite you to engage in this conversation with us. The way we see it, this is less of an abortion conversation and more of a humanity conversation. After all, who determines the value of an unborn life? If you’re pro-life, then what are you doing for the vulnerable lives who have been born? What if we shift the Down Syndrome narrative so much so that there is no such thing as Down Syndrome adoption at all? Do we see people with Down Syndrome as fully human and fully capable?
Read MoreWe share our personal adoption stories and are so lucky to get to chat with the amazing Lisa Eicher from @eicherumba who has four awesome kids and two of whom she adopted and happen to have Down syndrome. We laugh and cry and hear some great advice from Lisa.
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