This weekend some girlfriends and I headed down to Roanoke, VA to attend their local Down Syndrome Conference. Its the first DS conference I have been to, and to be honest I didn't have very high expectations. Actually, I just didn't really know what to expect. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement!
Some of the speakers that we were blessed with hearing were Dr. Brian Skotko, a genetics fellow at Children's Hospital in Boston and Pat Winders, the PT guru and author of "Gross Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome." Both were amazing. I also got the pleasure of hearing Kathie Snow speak, who is a die-hard advocate of inclusion of kids with disabilities in schools. She definitely left me both in tears and questioning a lot of where I want Evie to be in the future.
To give you a little taste of some great things we heard, here are some of my favorite quotes from the Conference...
"Never deny the diagnosis, but always deny the prognosis"
"Disability is a natural part of the human experience"
"Electric lights are just assistive technology for those who have sight" (funny)
"Low Expectations are bigger barriers than our disability will ever be"
"Your children are worth taking risks to have a life well lived"
"The true value of a person's life isn't what he becomes, but sometimes what he overcomes."
What did I do when I got home.... went right into Evie's room (who was sound asleep), put my hand on her back and told her how much I love her. She honestly is AMAZING and it is my mission in life to help her be the best she can be. Most of all, to be happy, healthy and loved.
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4 comments:
Aww, you blogged! LOL
You have my teary eyed because I love that you got out of it what I try to tell people they will get when they go to a conference. It really is hard to describe unless you have done it ... and the national convention is 100 times better!
*me* ... not *my* LOL
Look at you blogging! : ) This was the best conference I've ever been to. I am looking forward to going to my first national convention in Florida this year. Have you decided to go?
Unfortunately with buying the new house and closing in June, I dont think we can afford a big trip this summer. Too bad :( I would have loved to go. Next Year!!!
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