Our Stories – Charlotte Rice
Our daughter, Charlotte, was born early at 27 weeks. We had had an inkling that she might have Down syndrome based on preliminary clues that our doctor had seen but never got any sort of confirmation before I went into labor. When she was born, there were so many other complications that Down syndrome seemed really trivial as far as things we should be concerned about. But as she got healthier, it was something that started worrying me. What did Down syndrome mean? What things would she be able to do? How different was this going to be from what I had been expecting? We received a...
Read MoreOur Stories – Charlie and Milo McConnel
My name is Julie McConnel and my youngest boys, Charlie and Milo, are fraternal twins both with a diagnosis of Down syndrome. We received the news of our double lottery win when I was about 18 weeks pregnant. At the time we had no idea just how lucky we were and we struggled with the uncertainty of a future raising not just one, but two children with an extra chromosome. We were afraid we might not be the best equipped to care for them and even considered finding an adoptive family for them. I’m so thankful that we chose to act in faith rather than fear and decided to parent our two boys,...
Read MoreAmazon Smile
Amazon Prime Day is coming. July 12th and 13th there will be deals galore. When you save you help TVDSA! Tell all your friends and family. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. You shop. Amazon gives. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support TVDSA by shopping at smile.amazon.com. Click below to start shopping...
Read MoreEnd the R-word
We created this video in support of the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, an on-going initiative from Special Olympics and Best Buddies to eradicate the derogatory use of the word “retard(ed)” from everyday use and promote the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Five siblings of individuals with Down syndrome in Idaho’s Treasure Valley volunteered to help us spread the word that their brother or sister with Down syndrome is not defined by their disability. A big thanks to all those who helped us create this video by...
Read MoreOur Stories – Aaden Vranish
On December 17, 2008 a little angel sent by God was delivered into our arms. He weighed 4lbs 13oz and was 16 inches long. We went through a lot of trials and tribulations to get him here. But it was all worth it. After 4 miscarriages I was pregnant again and VERY scared this would be number 5. I spent a lot of time on my knees praying this little baby would stick. My anxiety was so high I would shake and sweat in the waiting room before seeing my doctor. I worried there wouldn’t be a heartbeat. It was very nerve breaking. I had a hard time sleeping and functioning throughout the day until a...
Read MoreOur Stories – Baylee Auger
Baylee is a blessing. She can fill a room with happiness and smiles. She continually supersedes expectations, both in academics and in extracurricular activities. Yes, there are frustrations at times, but what parent doesn’t have any frustrations with their kids? It does bother me occasionally, when people still jump to conclusions about what to expect or even want from her, as I know she can do so much more. But their subconscious labeling of what they think individuals with Down syndrome (or any other disability for that matter) can do stops them from...
Read MoreBecome a TVDSA Member TODAY!
Pay your membership fee online when submitting the online form. If you need to submit and pay a membership by mail, contact us at membership@idahodownsyndrome.org for additional information.
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