What Can You Do To Help the IDSC For Life?

You can order this book, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Stumbo adoption! Be sure to order from their blog!

Here is an example of the items Robert is making to raise money for their adoptions! Adorable!

The IDSC For Life has many readers that are pro life.  We have been blessed to have many people write us, supporting our efforts.  We are asked all the time, “What can we do?”  One thing you can do is get the word out there about us.  Help us to continue to teach the world how beautiful ALL life is!  We love to hear from people who don’t have a child with Ds, tell us the difference an individual with Down syndrome has made in their life.  We know that your love for our kids, siblings, grandchildren and friends, is a part of our mission to teach others that our kids matter, and ALL life is precious! 

On another note, we have other ways you can help.  We have families who are part of the IDSC For Life that are adopting another child with special needs.  They are saving babies who are in orphanages, and bringing them home where they belong.  They are racing against the clock.  You see, most of these children die when they are placed in these orphanages.  So these heroic families are actually saving their lives.  We would love for you to meet a couple of them, that are currently working on their adoptions. 

We understand that times are tough.  But if you have a desire to donate to the IDSC For Life, please consider giving your donation to these families, who are working so hard to bring their children home.  When you help these families, you are indeed contributing to the pro life movement!  These children deserve to live, to be loved, and to know the love of a family! 

We would like to introduce these two families to you!

Meet the darling Stumbo family!  If you want to learn more about the Down syndrome journey, you can buy the book Gifts 2 from them, and a portion of the profits go to their adoption! In this book you will meet their darling daughter, Nichole!  She has taught them everything they need to know about life!!  Nichole happens to have Down syndrome!  She is their teacher of life!  Please take a moment to meet this amazing family! And if you are considering ording this book, order it through their site, and you will help to contribute to bringing Nina home!

Shelley and Robert UPDATE!!! (Mentioned below!)  The financial need for their adoption has been completely taken care of!!!  They are no longer in need of donations!!  Wa HOOO!!!  Please prayerfully consider directing any donations to the Stumbo adoption! (Mentioned above!)  Thank you SO much!

We would also like you to meet a family whom we have been blessed to share with you before!  Shelley and Robert have already adopted two darling boys, and they are going back for more!!  They are working hard to bring their next set of boys home.  Do you know a dad who is in the armed services who can sew like a mad man?  I do, and they are selling his product!!  You have to check out Robert’s work! 

We are asked often at the IDSC For Life, “What can we do to help?”  We are not currently looking for donations, because for now, our voices are what matter.  Sharing with you all the dignity of ALL life, is more than we ever dreamed possible.  So in answer to that question, PLEASE continue to help us get the word out there about the IDSC For Life, and prayerfully consider helping these beautiful families bring their children home!  Adoption is the pro life option!!

The IDSC Wants to Know…Will Our Tax Dollars Fund Abortions?

For more information, check out Americans United For Life

Should a pro choice advocate be advocating for our kids?

Whoopi Goldberg Toys R Us campaign

Most are aware of the rate of abortion of babies who are diagnosed in utero with Down syndrome.  Many are also aware of Whoopi Goldberg’s pro choice advocating, that she has done over the years.  If you are not familiar, you can read more about that here.

We would like to hear what you think.  Do you think a vigorous pro choice advocate should be advocating for kids who happen to have Down syndrome?  Why or why not? We would love to hear your thoughts!

FYI:  The small print on the ad says, “Child advocate”.  We guess that advocating  has the same start date as the ARC, NDSS, and NDSC, which is after they are born, and not before!

Charles and Anne De Gaulle

Anne De Gaulle

Charles and Anne De Gaulle

All life has dignity.  That is such a simple truth.  As simple as it is, it is hard to imagine that we have come to a time in history in which 90% of all babies diagnosed with Down syndrome, in the womb, will have their lives taken. 

Not long ago, the life of an individual was cut short, clearly because we did not have the means to give them the life saving surgery that is often required.   Today, we do.  And today, our children are living full and happy lives.  So it is hard to imagine that anyone would advocate for the death of our children. 

Sadly, there are those who believe that it is a responsiblity of a parent, who finds out while they are pregnant, to end the life of their child.  Read any of the comment sections on any Sarah Palin article, and you will find this sad reality. Her rise to fame  has brought this into clear focus.  Individuals will blatently say that it is a terrible burden on a parent, and on society to bring a child into the world with Down syndrome.  We assure you, this could not be further from the truth. 

And so we take on this battle, to teach others, that our children have dignity.  Often, it can feel like we are taking on an army. 

Then we read anecdotes, like the story of Charles De Gaulle, and his beautiful daughter Anne, and we remember, that we are not alone.  There are  those who have gone before us, who were the first teachers of dignity.  We are here to carry on their legacy. 

Charles De Gaulle is one such man. He was known as a very strict military man. Only when he was with his daughter, Anne, who happened to have Down syndrome, did this man become a softened soul. What about Anne brought out something in Charles De Gaulle that no other human being could? 

It is often said, that the extra chromosome has an amazing power to soften even the hardest of hearts.  All of us have witnessed this personally at one time or another.  It is always the same.  You are in a room with the most ruthless person you have ever encountered in your life.  An individual, young or old, who happens to have Down syndrome, enters, and interacts with that person.  From no where, joy and laughter, kindness and compassion, oozes out of this once cold and seemingly uncaring individual.  How does this happen?  The power of the extra chromosome.  I warmly refer to it as De Gaulle syndrome.  Truly, there are few people who can escape this.  Nor would you want to! 

Patricia E Bauer wrote an amazing story about Charles De Gaulle, and his beautiful daughter, Anne.  We highly recommend you read it!  We promise you will be glad you did!

The Adoption Option

There are hundreds of families who are waiting to adopt a child with Down syndrome.  If you, or some one you know, feels as though you are being called to give this gift to a family who is waiting, please contact Robin at: 888-796-5504 or 513-761-5400 or email her at rsteele@zoomtown.com

more about “The Adoption Option“, posted with vodpod

Health Care For Gunner Press Conference

Dr. Marty McCaffrey and his beautiful daughter, Shea

Here is an excerpt from the Health Care For Gunner press conference,

Marty McCaffrey, a neonatologist and the father of a 9-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome, said he sees problems with Democrats’ vision of health care reform:
 
“We have been assured that government restructuring of health care will not require rationing, affect current services, create distribution panels, nor subsidize abortion,” McCaffrey said. “Even a neonatologist knows that if you increase demand for services, the cost will rise. If the health services budget is drastically cut while larger numbers of patients are added to the roles, rationing is unavoidable.”

McCaffrey said 90 percent of women who are diagnosed as carrying a baby with Down syndrome terminate the pregnancy – a number he said could grow even larger under currently proposed health care reform.
 
“Many will never meet a child with Down Syndrome,” McCaffrey said as he held his daughter Shea’s hand.

The IDSC stands with Dr. McCaffrey. We want to thank Dr. McCaffrey for being  a voice in this debate.

Representative McMorris Rogers

The IDSC does not believe that health care reform should not happen.  However, we do believe that while the US government is in the process of creating this bill, we only ask that they do not leave the most vulnerable behind.  We want to thank Representative McMorris Rogers for taking the time to join all of our families, at the Health Care For Gunner press conference.  We also want to thank Kristan Hawkins for inviting the IDSC to share our concerns.  As we get more video feed, we will post it.

International Down Syndrome Coaltion For Life Press Conference

Leticia Velasquez

The IDSC For Life will be making a statement sharing our concerns about the current health care reform bill. IDSC member, Leticia Valazquez, mom to beautiful Christina Valasquez, will be speaking on behalf of all of the members of the IDSC For Life. At 10:00 this morning, Leticia, along with several other families, will be speaking in Washington D.C. at the Health Care for Gunner press conference!

CHRISTINA VELASQUEZ, 7
Patient with Down Syndrome
Canterbury, CT

My name is Leticia Velasquez and I am the mother of Christina, who is seven. She attends first grade in Canterbury, CT. Christina has Down syndrome.

I represent the International Down Syndrome Coalition for Life.

The IDSC for Life has two major concerns with the current bill. The first concern is for the child who is in the womb, and is diagnosed with Down syndrome. Currently, the termination rate for children who are diagnosed in utero is reported to be near 90% in America. The International Down Syndrome Coalition for Life is concerned that the current health care bill will encourage families to abort the life of a child who happens to have Down syndrome, in the name of cost effectiveness.

Will there be a panel that will decide that the price savings of terminating the pregnancy outweighs the dignity and value of the life of a child? Will it then become a patriotic responsibility to end a life that others deem less than perfect? Will there be measures written into the reform that protest the life of a child diagnosed pre-natally with special needs?

Since the goal of the healthcare reform bill as it is written is to help save the nation money, the IDSC for Life believes these are vital concerns which must be addressed.
Our second major concern pertains to the individuals with Down syndrome who have been born. Currently, these people are given therapies and life-saving surgeries to help enhance the quality of their lives. Under HR 3200, can we be sure that this will continue? Will their medical concerns be treated equally with individuals who do not have Down syndrome? The IDSC for life is very concerned that our children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers and friends will not be given equal access to health care, because of their diagnosis. We believe that each individual deserves medical care that is needed to ensure that they can live full and happy lives. We cannot help but wonder if this health care reform act will actually lower the quality of care that our loved ones require.

The IDSC for Life would like to see provisions in any health care reform bill which will ensure the protection of the lives of individuals with disabilities. We believe those provisions must be written into any health care reform to protect those in the womb, and those who are already born.

-LETICIA VELASQUEZ ,mother of Christina and member of IDSC for Life www.idscforlife.wordpress.com/

To see the all of the families statements you can go here: www.web.me.com/kristanhawkins/www.healthcareforgunner.com/Welcome_Page.html

To see Christina’s beautiful picture go here: http://web.me.com/kristanhawkins/www.healthcareforgunner.com/Christina_Velazquez.html

Choosing Thomas….

When you enter the trisomy world, you are blessed to encounter many other families who are also on a journey.  It might be trisomy 13 or trisomy 18 that has come into their life, or any other. All the same, you are keenly aware of each other, and your shared experiences.  The expected outcome of our experiences are very different from one another. While they are different, there are threads which are the same. 

After a family gets any trisomy diagnosis, there is a period of shock that you go through.  You try to understand how this happened to you, and why.  Then you move into making your plans for your child. If one finds out while they are pregnant, the pressure to abort the pregnancy can be unbearable, with every kind of trisomy.  Often times, parents think this is their only solution. 

Our families, who have a child who happens to have Down syndrome, have made the case for life, for children with Down syndrome.  Now we would like to share with you a family who makes the case for life for their beautiful son, Thomas.  While we know that this was not an easy journey for this family, we also know that they are richly blessed by their decision. Thomas, Deidrea, and T.K., thank you for sharing this amazing account, and reminding everyone, that indeed, ALL life is precious!  The IDSC For Life stands with you, and we agree!  Thomas, you are precious!!!

Meet John Michael!!

Could there be a cuter model for the IDSC For Life onsies? Adorable!

IDSC Button For Bloggers

Would you like to add the IDSC button to your blog?  You can do that by grabbing this code:

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