Making a Case For Life

Making A Case for Life

“Finally, we will meet six-year-old Chloe Kondrich, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native whose father, Kurt, is a tireless advocate for individuals with Down syndrome and their right to full inclusion in society. Chloe’s delightful personality has captivated everyone around her, and as we will see, her kindness has already touched so many lives that it is virtually impossible to support any argument suggesting that the world would be a better place if she had never been born.”

IDSC For Life members, Curt and Chloe Kondrich,  joined Stephanie Wincik, by collaborating on a book, Making a Case For Life.  Their goal is  to teach the world about the beauty of individuals who happen to have an extra chromosome!  Clearly, the world would not be better off with out Chloe, or all of her peers, in it!!  Get your copy now, where they make the case for LIFE!!   We are excited to be able to share this with you!

DON’T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY WITH FREE SHIPPING (Email “Chloe”). 

To get your free shipping, email Stephanie Wincik at  swincik@aol.com  and mention “Chloe“. 

www.stephaniewincik.com

Happy New Year!

We are thankful for the many opportunities we had in 2009 to promote and celebrate the dignity of  life! We appreciate the times we were able to educate others about Down syndrome. As 2009 comes to a close, we welcome you to take a look at our video, highlighting some of our members who happen to have Down syndrome, and their families. We hope you enjoy it! Once again, we sincerely thank all of you who stand with us in respecting all life. May your 2010 be filled with love, laughter, and LIFE!!!

CLICK HERE to view video!

The IDSC For Life Wishes You and Your Family a Very Merry Christmas!!

May 2010 be filled with love, laughter, and LIFE!!!

Merry Christmas from all of us, to all of you!!!

Be A Pro Life Freedom Rider!

LET’S JOIN THE FREEDOM RIDERS!!!  Click the photo above for more information!!  What a wonderful opportunity to teach the nation that ALL life is precious!!!

IDSC Nominated For A Pro Life Blog Award!!

We are so excited to tell you that the IDSC has been nominated for a pro life blog award!!  The American Life League has a pro life blog award presented each year!  This year, our blog has the honors of being nominated along with all of the other amazing pro life blogs out there!  We are so excited that our voices are being heard, and we have been given this honor!  Thank you to whom ever did this for us!

Go here for more information about this!  American Life League Pro Life Blog Awards

Difference Is An Artist’s Game

Why Is There an International Down Syndrome Coalition For Life?

The IDSC For Life turned one year old in October!!  We missed the celebration, but are grateful for all that has gone on this year.  We would love to remind others, exactly why the IDSC For Life was born.

The IDSC For Life believes that ALL life is precious.  Many of us are parents of individuals who happen to have Down syndrome.  Most of us learned of the high termination rate of babies in utero, when our children were born.  Some of us found out that our children had Down syndrome while we were pregnant, and were pressured to abort the baby.  Some of us realized the extent to which the abortion issue is used by those who want to “clean out” the gene pool. 

What ever our path, it led us to turn to advocacy groups to ask them what they were doing about the termination rate of children who happen to have Down syndrome.  Unfortunately, the National Down Syndrome Society, the National Down Syndrome Congress, and the ARC, who all advocate for individuals who happen to have Down syndrome, informed all of us, that they had a position “to not have a position.”  All of these groups do wonderful things.  That is just a fact.  But there was a piece that was missing for our families.  We could not imagine that this issue was not a part of the conversation.  After all, it has been reported by many, that the rate of abortion for a baby who happens to have Down syndrome, is near 90%.  By far, this is the most discriminating act that is happening to individuals with Down syndrome today!

So, in light of this, the International Down Syndrome Coalition For Life was formed.  Our goals are to advocate in the womb and in the room!  We believe that ALL LIFE is precious!  We believe that taking a life because the child has an extra chromosome is a form of euginics.  We  believe that the dignity for a person begins when they are in the womb. 

We have very humble beginnings.  We are not looking to raise money.  We are hoping to rasie awareness of this tragedy.  We are trying to get resources into the hands of those who “bought the lie” that taking their child’s life was a good idea.  Our hearts and prayers go out to the women who did, because most of us know the pressure they were under to abort their child.  We are able to get them resources so they can begin the healing  journey.  We are here to support the families who believe with us that ALL life is precious, including the life of their family member or friend who happens to have Down syndrome. We are here to help connect the families who do not think they can raise a child who happens to have Down syndrome, but instead choose the adoption option!   And we are here, for the individuals who happen to have Down syndrome, who are part of our coalition, who are proudly pro life!  Their pro life voices are incredibly inspiring to ALL of us! 

We stand together, knowing that ALL life is indeed precious!

A Shout Out To Sarah Palin!!

Beautiful words, beautiful family!  This is our shout out to Mrs. Palin and her lovely family!  We hope they can hear us!

Dear Sarah,  The IDSC For Life would like to invite you to be a part of our coalition!  We stand with you, and believe that ALL life is precious!  In the Down syndrome community, we are a unique minority.  You see, while we all believe that individuals who happen to have Down syndrome are wonderful and a blessing, those who believe that all life is precious, and have a child with Down syndrome, are often silenced by those who believe in the right to abortions.  The other large organizations do not  advocate for the life of an individual from conception to natural death.  The IDSC For Life was formed because we came to realize that other organizations would not  speak out about the issue of aborti0n, in spite of the fact that nearly 90% of all babies that are diagnosed in utero are being terminated. 

Mrs. Palin, Mr. Palin, and all of the lovely Palin family members, we want you to know we stand with you, and are thrilled you have taken such a beautiful stance!  You are a part of the IDSC For Life by your words and your deeds.  Thank you for all you have done already!

The IDSC For Life would love to have an opportunity to interview you!  We are often asked if you know about us!  We do not know if you do, but we are hoping you do!  This is our shout out to you, to let you know we are with you, and we support you!  (And for those who are wondering, we are not a 501c3, so we can support someone in politics, and besides, Mrs. Palin is not in a political position right now!  Yes, we have been warned.  lol  This is personal, this is not political.)  The Down syndrome community is a tight one.  The pro life- Down syndrome community is even tighter!  Welcome, Mrs. Palin, to the pro life- Down syndrome community!  You can contact us at IDSCforlife@gmail.com  We would love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Diane- IDSC For Life

The IDSC Responds to “The View” Women

The IDSC For Life would like to respond to the “debate” that the women on The View had concerning the conversation that Sarah Palin had with Barbara Walters about aborting  babies who happen to have Down syndrome.

When a mother finds out that she is carrying a baby who happens to have Down syndrome, there are many factors that weigh into her decision to abort.  Some of them are: lack of up to date information, influences from physicians, friends, and family members, and most of all, ignorance for what this experience might be like.  When a woman continues the pregnancy, she realizes that the experience is nothing like she thought, and that her child is a unique and beautiful gift!

Knowing that some women still may not want to have a child who happens to have Down syndrome, we believe that the ADOPTION OPTION is the most incredible gift a mother can give their child, another family, and herself.  N0t once in this debate did anyone mention the adoption option!  Currently, there is a list of 200 families waiting for children who happen to have Down syndrome!  What a gift to them. When we debate this issue, we need to know that this option would solve all of the problems that they are debating!!

IDSC For Life Interview With Reece’s Rainbow (Part IV)

 

 

IDSC:  What is your primary goal? 

Andrea from RR:  To raise money so families can afford to save children with Down syndrome in foreign orphanages through the gift of adoption.

 

IDSC: Why is this so important? 

Andrea From RR:  This country, this world, is facing a severe moral crisis right now.  Christian or not, scared of parenting a child with special needs or not, the ease with which a child’s life can be ended is appalling.  It is nothing short of “genetic genocide”, in my opinion.  Is the decision to terminate an easy one?  I’m sure not.   Just like you said, that mother is the mother of a child with Down syndrome for the rest of her life, no matter what path she takes. But to make that heavy decision based on some doctor’s ignorance, and her OWN lack of knowledge about what life with a child with DS is really like…that is what is so wrong about that decision.   I once had a birth mom contact me asking about placement for her child with Down syndrome (domestic).  They were not Christians in any way.  She was only about 20 weeks along, and had the AFP test, and however they came up with the numbers, the doctor told her she had a 1 in 20 chance of her baby being born with Down syndrome.  She wasn’t convinced to abort, but her husband was dead set on it, he “didn’t want no retard kid”.  However, they were both set on not doing an amnio to be sure.  I’m thinking to myself “you’re willing to terminate the pregnancy in full, but not have an amnio done to be SURE”?   HUH??  Anyway, that is another story…so she was really struggling with this decision.  I didn’t go through the whole spiel about how joyous and beautiful life is with a child with DS.  My primary point to her was, that without an amnio, she was not going to be sure.  There was no way to be sure.  And if she chose to terminate without doing the amnio, she had a 19 in 20 chance of killing a perfectly normal, healthy child!  I’m no math major, but that is a pretty obvious one to me.   So eventually they did end up agreeing to the amnio, and guess what…their baby did NOT have Down syndrome.   She comes back singing my praises.  Praises not necessary….what is crucial is making sure people are making an educated decision, having a chance to speak to parents who are living it, learning about all the resources out there to help, and knowing that if even if they still don’t think they can handle raising a child with special needs, there are HUNDREDS of families standing in line to do it for them through the gift of adoption.

 

Reece’s Rainbow, although our focus is international, makes a serious statement….people in this country WANT these children.  People in CANADA and ENGLAND and AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND want these children.  And for birth parents here in the US who are considering terminating their child, think about that for a minute.  There has to be a REASON why so many people want to adopt a child who happens to have Down syndrome, and why so many people adopt MULTIPLE children with Down syndrome.  It’s not for adoption subsidy money, I can tell you that.  It’s not because they are super parents (although they all are to me!)  It’s because they recognize the GIFT that is Down syndrome.   Despite the daily challenges, they recognize the joy and beauty that people with Down syndrome in particular bring to life.  In my opinion, that extra chromosome is a marker of Divine nature.  God makes these children with a particular “look” so they are easily recognizable as his personal messengers, sharing goodness and light in a very dark world.  But the world sees them as freaks and invalids and useless mistakes.  It is our job to change that, one adoption at a time.

 

IDSC: What are some final words you would like to leave with us? 

Andrea from RR:  You don’t have to adopt to save a life.  Give what you can, share the ministry with others, reach out to your churches, your friends, your family, your social organizations, your colleagues, corporations, and celebrities.  It really is that easy.  And if we had a $10k or more grant for every waiting child on our site, there would BE no waiting children on our site.    The long term goal for Reece’s Rainbow is to work ourselves out of a job, that there would be no need for RR.

IDSC For Life Interview with Reece’s Rainbow (Part III)

 

 

IDSC:  What do the dollars that are raised go to? 

Andrea from RR:  There are several different funds that people can give for.  First is our Voice of Hope fund.  It’s not warm and fuzzy, but we have continuously growing operational expenses, and we MUST have funding for this ministry’s basic costs, or there IS no Reece’s Rainbow.  Donations to this fund make it possible for us to continue serving ALL of the children.  

Second are for our waiting children.  Donations to waiting children are broken out 90% for the child and 10% for our Voice of Hope fund.  Funds are held in individual grant accounts for each child, and are legally given on behalf of the child.  Families who adopt a child through our ministry know those funds are there from the beginning, and it gives them strength and courage to take a leap of faith, knowing that is $ less than they have to fundraise for later.   They

are eligible for those funds because of the child they are adopting.  Although we are definitely a Christian ministry, we are registered as a public charity with the IRS.  Therefore, we do not have any income or faith based restrictions on these funds, and they don’t really have to be “applied for”.  The majority of our adopting families are Christian anyway, but this is not a requirement.  Families don’t have to send out 30 grant or loan applications and hope to God they are chosen.  There is a lot of stress in that!  Knowing the funds are there from the beginning with Reece’s Rainbow makes the decision to commit for one (or more) of these kids a LOT easier!

Third is to sponsor a child who has already found a family through our Family Sponsorship Program (FSP).   Donations to these kids after a family has committed for them are given at 100%.  We do not keep anything for the VOH fund from these donations.  Even once a family commits, there is still a tremendous amount of pressure to fundraise and come up with the rest of the money to complete the adoption in a timely manner.  Remember, these kids are truly living on borrowed time, so there really just can’t be a delay in the adoption process for lack of funds.  Without significant waiting child grant funds available, families take on a huge burden to come up with this money in what really is a short period of time.   (it may seem during the process that 12 months is a long time, but not when you’re trying to come up with $25k on yard sales, spaghetti dinners, and Ebay !) 

The most important thing to note about any donation is that THERE IS NO RISK OF LOSS OF FUNDS.    Funds are held and not disbursed until a family has successfully submitted their dossier and been given a travel date.  This money is typically used to pay for airfare first (we pay it directly), final agency fees, and then if there is anything left over, it is disbursed back to the family to use as they need it in country.   If a child should pass away or become unavailable in some other way (such as a birth parent takes them home or they are sent to an institution they can’t be adopted out of), their grant is reallocated to another waiting child.  Even if a family commits to a child and has to stop the adoption for their own personal reasons, the child’s original waiting grant is still intact, and anything earned in the family’s FSP is also held for that child for the enxt family to commit to adopt them.  (remember, grants are legally given on behalf of the child, which is why they are tax deductible and must remain with the child if a family backs out).

IDSC:  If I sponsor a child, am I able to follow that child’s adoption journey? 
Andrea from RR: Oh yes, that is one of the best things about RR.  You can watch that child’s profile go from “waiting” to listed under “my forever family found me”, and then on their family’s new FSp profile.  You get to watch that journey through various stages, and then nearly every family has an adoption blog, so you can follow along there, and then most fun is to watch the extraordinary transformation these children go through once home!