National Down Syndrome Awareness Week 11-17 October 2009

Just wondering what everyone's been doing for National Down Syndrome Awareness Week this year? I know some people have been wearing their new T-21 shirts (more pics in Show Us Your... please! ) and a bunch have gone on Buddy Walks around the country. What have you been doing to make people aware (informed) about Down Syndrome?

I've been posting stuff on my Facebook page (as others have I can see ) and I've noticed a couple of my friends take it on board and say stuff about Down Syndrome on their pages too

Every morning at my kids' school they have 'morning meeting' (assembly) and I've been giving little tidbits about Down Syndrome there. It's so interesting hearing people's responses to stuff they have never heard before

One of the best things about Awareness Week is that it gives me a valid excuse to just talk about it whenever/wherever, PLUS I get to hear others' stories about their experience with Down Syndrome eg a friend of mine has a cousin her age (early 40s) with DS, someone else's mother used to adopt kids with DS, others grew up with kids in their class

How is YOUR awareness week going?

Cas

I was talking to the owner of the resort we were staying at on the Gold Coast about why we were all there. Turns out her best friend has a daughter, now in 30's with DS.

We are doing the Buddy Walk on Sunday with several others from here too. I am also thinking of making up some t-shirts with the designs I made. Not sure yet though:)

I never DO anything
so this is what I was going to email my family

Just sneaking this in at the end of the week.
It’s National Down syndrome Awareness Week, this week 11 to the 18Oct
All month, I wanted to do something to bring about some awareness, tell people how much I wish they could feel and know what I have come to know since having my child. How many times can I say it without becoming a broken record?

So I’ve done nothing, I’m the sort of person that only acts when I feel lead by God. Though I’m sure God would argue that. You see the sentence above sounds as though, as soon as I hear God I act, Hmm if only that were true, I sit on it, wait and see if he will leave me be and then after some time I act.
Well enough about that.
So I’m not going to tell you all how perfect my son is, or how much joy he has brought to our lives, or how people with Ds have young mothers, or how people with Down syndrome DO attend main stream school because they are intelligent you just don’t know their capabilities yet because they haven’t been given the opportunity’s to success…………or I’m nor going to brag on about how MORE children with Ds (when compared to typically developing children), play a musical instrument, clean their bedroom the first time they are asked.. Nor will I explain the Flop and Drop, to mothers they will never experience it. Hehehe.

And to be honest here, knowing what to share has weighted on my heart for 3yrs, for each year since Aden has been born I felt clueless as what to share. Yes I stuck up posters around town, at our local school, felt guilty for missing Primary Colour Day on the16th October. Oooops
The thing is, I don’t feel right being happy. I felt I should share about these children the “waiting children” bring awareness to you all that hundreds of children with Down syndrome don’t have a mother or a father and have been left to die if Americans don’t save them, if Australians don’t pray and pay.

When I think about how lucky I am to have Aden today 2009, and how lucky there isn't insitutions here “we don’t put these children in institutions anymore” my heart bleeds. It’s a lie, we do still lock these children away and we all allow it to happen.

Then I think about, how when I share about these children, I have to face all those that say …, about how this is why abortions should be everyone’s right and don’t tell me about children suffering in institutions because, if abortions were legalized…these children wouldn’t’ be suffering….” so then what can I possible share?
So I prayed and while having a shower it came to me, I knew right then what I needed to say.

There is a little boy sitting in an orphanage waiting, he is waiting with many others, waiting for love. His life IS worth living, his life gave me reason to act, his sweet face, his heart will forever be with mine our souls connected though we will never meet.
He gave me reason to start praying, he gave me reason to scream out to our God in prayer to move mountains and empty those institutions.
His life is worth living, his life is worthwhile, he needs a mummy and daddy a family.
Please pray with me, pray that God will hear us and he will empty out those institution all over the world just as he did here.
I can be happy knowing that God will answer our prayers, I have faith that he will move mountains. I struggle with faith so much, but this I know to be true I have already witnessed it in my time, when he emptied out Institutions here.
Become a Prayer Warrior today pray with me and pray with so many others, we can make a differance. God is listening.
John 14:13-14 "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" .

Matthew 17:20 "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you"
http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=9b08ab7214bb71b4b33e33&skin_id=1602&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

That is one of the most beautiful posts I have ever read. Not many touch me so deeply, but that one really tore at my heartstrings. I could really feel your passion, and it was so incredibly well written Cathy. Thank you for reminding me to turn my heart towards others who don't have it as good as we do. It can be so easy to get caught up in our own woes. But really, they are nothing.
Thank you.