Our 16-year-old daughter, Penny, wakes up to the beeping of her alarm. On her way downstairs, she picks up her iPhone to check her texts. She eats breakfast, gathers her sneakers and pompoms for cheerleading and heads to school. When Penny was diagnosed with Down syndrome a few hours after she was born, I didn’t expect our mornings to feel so ordinary.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A program that started in North Carolina to connect people with Down syndrome during social distancing is going global.
Every week, 14-year-old Melia Griffin goes to check the mail in hopes she will receive a letter from her pen pal Jenna. She is one of 125 people participating in the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem’s pen pal program. After social distancing requirements forced the organization to cancel all of its events and programming, the group thought of a way to help members socially and emotionally connect. Melia’s mother, Kendra Griffin, said it’s doing exactly that.
“Getting her letters and knowing that there’s not that many people with Down syndrome so it’s comforting as a mom to know that there’s other families just like ours not just here in the Triad but all around the world really,” Kendra Griffin said.
Melia lives in North Carolina and her pen pal Jenna lives in Michigan. After three weeks of sending letters back and fourth, Melia said the two have created a special bond.
“I want to go to Michigan, and I want to see her,” Melia Griffin said.
There are many relationships being formed through this program. Clay Janke, 8, lives in Nebraska. His pen pal is Josiah from North Carolina. Clay’s mother, Leah Janke said it’s a welcome distraction for the entire family.
“There’s something about paper mail. We’re taking anything that’s fun and exciting right now while everyone’s at home, so getting paper mail has been really fun and Clay likes to run out and check the mail box and see if he has any mail,” Janke said.
The program keeps growing, with no end in sight. Down Syndrome Association board president, McNeil Cronin, said the group’s goal is to bring on as many people as possible.
“Right now we are at over 30 states in the U.S., three different countries, so we’ve gone international, and we have over 125 members currently, and we are really proud of that. It’s struck a core with people all over the world, and it started right here in Winston-Salem,” Cronin added.
Participants range from the ages of 1 to 48 and are all from different races and backgrounds.
If your child has Down syndrome and would be interested in participating in the pen pal program, you can e-mail Executive Director, Jay Callahan, at [email protected].
If you haven’t seen Peanut Butter Falcon, go see it at the movies while you still have the chance. An authentic Tom Sawyer adventure story starring a young man with DS – it will warm your heart. We are so protective of our loved ones we can be guilty of “infantiling” them – I wish a true friendship like this one for all friends with DS.
https://www.nationalreview.com/…/peanut-butter-falcon-movi…/
Instead of guardianship when our kids turn 18, have your considered supported decision-making for your self-advocate? This is a relatively new legal status and worth learning more about…..
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/…/in-lieu-guardiansh…/27113/
On Sunday, October 13th join us for a beautiful 3-mile walk along Lake Quannapowitt to promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome! REGISTER HERE
12:00pm: Registration & Pre-Walk Festivities
1:30pm: Walk & Post-Walk Festivities
The MDSC is the leading organization in Massachusetts for providing information, networking opportunities, and advocacy for and about Down syndrome. Your support allows us to continue to promote awareness throughout the state and maximize the opportunities available for all individuals with Down syndrome. Thank you for helping us in our mission to ensure that all individuals with Down syndrome are valued, included, and given the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives.
Bronze Sponsor
Buddy Walk Friend
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A&E may have pulled the popular reality show, “Born This Way” but ABC debuts a new primetime drama with a main character that has DS, “Stumptown” Cole Sibus, who has DS, stars as brother of the lead and previously was in “Born This Way’. https://www.disabilityscoop.com/…/abc-premiere-show-…/27118/
Join us on Sunday, September 15th for a beautiful 1.5-mile walk along Lake Chauncy to promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. REGISTER HERE
10:00am-11:00am Registration & Pre-Walk Festivities
11:00am-1:00pm Walk & Post-Walk Festivities
The MDSC is the leading organization in Massachusetts for providing information, networking opportunities, and advocacy for and about Down syndrome. Your support allows us to continue to promote awareness throughout the state and maximize the opportunities available for all individuals with Down syndrome. Thank you for helping us in our mission to ensure that all individuals with Down syndrome are valued, included, and given the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives.
November 7, 2019, College of the Holy Cross – Hogan Conference Center, Worcester, MA
The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress recognizes that supporting students with complex learning profiles requires training and professional support for teachers and administrators. This year’s conference is designed to provide general and special educators, administrators, paraprofessionals, support professionals, and parents with practical workshops that will support them as they work hard each day to meet the educational needs of students.
Annual Educators Forum
Every year, hundreds of educators, administrators, paraprofessionals, related service providers and other education professionals, and family members come together on the campus of Holy Cross College to discuss and learn about innovations and insights into making schools more accepting and inclusive for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
At our forum, teachers have the oportunity to learn from our speakers and each other, and to take back to their classrooms a wealth of information that make Massachusetts schools better equipped to serve all their students and overcome roadblocks to creating an inclusive education.
In the spirit of collaboration and inclusion, we value districts throughout the state and beyond coming together to learn, build capacity and ultimately enhance and improve the educational experiences of all students!
Washington stands alone in its recognition that paraeducators provide significant classroom support for students with disabilities and now for the first time this fall, every school district in WA must offer a training course that all instructional paraeducators must complete. The 3-21 Foundation offers para training modules for professional development for this very reason – so nice to see WA is on the right path!
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/…/in-first-state-mak…/27083/
Date: Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 8:30 AM – 12 PM
For more info or to register, please go to www.321foundation.org or send an email to [email protected].