Archives for October 2013

A friend of mine sent me this picture of a billboard promoting Down Syndrome awareness. The billboard, located in one of the busiest parts of Florence, Italy features the very popular (and overused) phrase “Keep Calm It’s Only An Extra Chromosome” on an orange background with a picture of an adorable girl with Down syndrome.

I have to admit when I saw the picture I thought it may have been photoshopped (read: fake.) I even did some Google searches trying to find some mention of a Down Syndrome billboard going up in Italy, but found nothing (and I consider myself a pretty good Google-er!)

But the friend that sent me this picture assures me it’s real, and from the looks of it, I agree.

So here’s a picture of the mystery billboard.

Dear OB/GYN,

I’m the father of a two year boy named Noah who was born with Down syndrome, and whom we love very much. I understand that in the course of your day to day work you often have the difficult responsibility of telling parents news they never thought they would receive; that there’s a likely chance the little boy or girl in their mothers womb is going to born with Down syndrome.

My hope in writing you this letter is tell you some of the things I wish I would have known the day we found out our son was born with Down syndrome, as well as help you to deliver a Down syndrome diagnosis to your patients in a way that honors the child, and gives parents hope and encouragement.

**Update: Thank you to everyone who shared a picture of their child and a quote! They are all amazing! Ellen Seidman from Love That Max selected the photos  quotes, and wrote the article for Babble. The Article is now up and I encourage you to check it out, and share it. I also plan on using everyone else’s pictures and quotes on an upcoming post on my blog! Read 21 Things People Don’t Get About Kids With Down Syndrome on Babble!**

I’m working with a writer from Babble.com who’s writing an article for Down syndrome awareness month and I would love for you to be a part of it! Most people have no idea what it’s like raising a child with Down Syndrome or what it’s like to be born with Down syndrome, the hope of this article (and Down syndrome awareness month) is to help people learn more about kids with Down syndrome.

It’s hard to believe that our official Facebook page passed the 50,000 mark last month! I can still remember the day I started this page (and our blog) back in May of 2011 (which means we’re only a little more than two years old!) and trying to get just twenty five of my friends to “like” Noah’s page so we could get a custom URL! Thanks to my mom, brothers, wife, and friends for making that happen!

It’s hard to believe we’ve only been telling our boy’s story for only a little over two years. It goes without saying that I never expected this thing to take off like it has. Our family has made countless friendships literally all over the world through this blog and our Facebook page.

In addition to the friends we’ve made, we also receive messages on an almost daily basis about how this blog and Facebook page has been a source of encouragement and hope for parents who have received a Down syndrome diagnosis…which is awesome since creating Down syndrome awareness is one of the main reasons I started doing all of this in the first place!