Friday, June 24, 2011

Mike Sullivan loves our kids!


Read my blog post over at National Right to Life News about Mike Sullivan, the engineer from New Zealand who is suing  his government over eugenic abortion in the International Criminal Court. I hope this idea catches on, it means that this could be done in every nation which has signed onto the Rome Treaty and has universal pre-natal testing for Down syndrome and other anomalies.
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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Colleen Carroll Campbell: A dangerous perfectionism

Read this eloquent column in the St Louis Dispatch by EWTN series host Colleen Carroll Campbell on the new pre-natal screening tests for Down syndrome.
She says, Count Eileen Haupt and Leticia Velasquez, two mothers of daughters with Down syndrome, among the latter. The pair recently founded an organization known as Keep Infants with Down Syndrome, or KIDS. Their goal: to encourage expectant parents of Down-diagnosed babies by spreading the word about research advances and the joy these special-needs children can bring.The potential audience for their message is vast. Today, many women are bearing children later in life and thus facing higher odds of a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis. (A 20-year-old woman has a one-in-2,000 chance of conceiving a baby with Down syndrome; for a 40-year-old woman, that chance is one in 100.)

  Colleen Carroll Campbell: A dangerous perfectionism

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Ephphatha! Be Opened!


For six years, Christina has made extremely limited progress in learning to speak. 

She has a 50 word vocabulary and does not use words on a regular basis to meet her needs, preferring to use hand motions. We have only heard her say one original sentence, years ago, and it has weighed heavily on my heart as a mother. But, after three years of inclusive education had failed to address this problem, I was at a loss as to what to do next. 

Last January, Dr Judith Mascolo, Christina's doctor and the mother of a child with Down syndrome herself, was observing Christina and  suggested she be evaluated at UCONN Speech and Hearing Center. She believed that Christina was able to speak much more than she is currently speaking. She gave me hope. 


We had Christina's  speech evaluation today at UCONN and the director was convinced that Christina is "stimulable", that there is hope she can learn to speak more, and will see her twice this summer and then begin regular sessions in September for 6-8 weeks, with a re-evaluation to determine if they were effective. 

I am still nervous since its possible that she does not advance, and then they decide they cannot help her. I can't tell you how devastating that would be to me if they decided Christina is making no progress after two months of therapy. It haunts me and almost made me despair of even trying to help her. I need to increase my faith. 

 I ask you all to pray with me that Jesus will repeat what He did when he healed the deaf mute in  Mark's Gospel. He commanded, "Ephphatha, be opened!" and the man spoke. May He do that to my little Christina!
 Please keep this in your prayers. 


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Down syndrome Dad fights eugenic abortion in New Zealand



 Following TV3's 60 Minutes(on New Zealand television) documentary on June 12 “Down but not out'', parents of children with Down syndrome announced they will lodge a complaint with the International Criminal Court against the Governments screening programme for Down syndrome.

The basis of the parents' complaint is that the Government's antenatal screening programme specifically targets foetuses with Down syndrome and other rare genetic conditions, through the prevention of their births.

 The 60 Minutes documentary was introduced with the statement “people with Down syndrome may soon disappear from the face of the earth.'' 60 Minutes revealed the new screening programme was introduced without public consultation and the Ministry of Health “did not bother'' asking the opinion of anyone who has Down syndrome, about the programme.

Mike Sullivan, father of three-year-old Rebecca Sullivan who has Down syndrome, featured in the 60 Minutes documentary. He said people with Down syndrome and other disabilities are human beings who live full and rewarding lives. “They must be treated on an equal basis with other members of our society, without any form of discrimination.''

De-Anne Jensen, mother of three with her oldest son having Down syndrome also featured on 60 Minutes. “Government documents say it costs less not to have children with Down syndrome around, so it looks like they are working to do away with Down syndrome. It's cheaper; you don't have to pay for the special needs things. The Government and medical experts are putting a monetary value on our baby's lives,'' Mrs Jensen said.

 The parents' complaint references Government Cabinet papers obtained under the Official Information Act stating the outcomes of the programme will be a reduction in the number of births of
people with Down syndrome, with around 90% of unborn children diagnosed with the condition being terminated. The persecution of an identifiable group of the civilian population through the prevention of births is specifically prohibited under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which New Zealand is signatory.

The group is supported by parents with other disabilities that are being similarly targeted and other organisations who support their concerns.

The groups position statement is that genetic screening must not be used to prevent the birth of unborn children with Down syndrome, or cause harm to any unborn child.

The group recognises genetic testing may help some parents prepare for the birth of a child with Down syndrome. Any testing must respect the life and integrity of the unborn child, cause no harm, be only directed towards safeguarding or healing the unborn child and be presented in a way that does not discriminate against people with Down syndrome or any disability. Any testing must be developed in full engagement with those with Down syndrome.

For further
information contact:

Mike Sullivan, 09
436 1498 0r 021 406 266 
mike.b.sullivan@xtra.co.nz


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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Bella graduates from St Joseph School

Her father and I are so proud of our beautiful, intelligent, highly social young lady who made a seamless transition from homeschooling for six years to this wonderful Catholic school in Connecticut. She was on the honor roll for all her three years there, and graduated as president of the Student Council. Here she is with her best friend Mary, beaming with pride and a little wistfulness that her school days at St Joseph are over, she loved that place!
We are thinking about homeschooling her for high school, unless Our Lord gives clear indication that He has other plans, but I know that she is a serious student and will make the most of any educational opportunity which comes her way.






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Sunday, June 5, 2011

Welcome Faith and Culture Viewers!


 I've you saw this show on EWTN's "Faith and Culture" with Colleen Carroll Campbell this morning, welcome!
If not, you have another chance on Wed June 8 at 11:30 PM. Eileen Haupt and I tell Colleen about how the joy of life raising our two special daughters made us want to do something to lower the tragic 92% abortion rate of babies with Down syndrome.
Welcome to Cause of Our Joy, come in an sit a spell and get a peek at everyday life with my daughters Gabbi, Bella, Christina, and my husband Francisco as we share the joy of our special family. Leave a comment and tell us about yourself, and welcome to our family!
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Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Gabbi's birthday schedule

I moved to Connecticut to live the simple life in the country.
Observe how successful I've been.

Gabbi's 18th birthday schedule:


9AM Mass for the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord 


10AM Gabbi works on her theology final for Kolbe Academy so she can graduate HS in July


12 noon; job interview at Mohegan Sun Casino
 (don't panic, she'll work in a restaurant, hotel or shop, NOT the casino!)
1PM Shopping to spend birthday cash at the mall


2:45 Pick up Bella from school


4PM Family dinner


5PM Bella's softball game


5:30 Pick up my sister-in-law from work


6PM Ave Marie Home Board Meeting Mom and Christina
(concurrently)
6PM Gabbi and friend see a movie at local theater 


7PM Pick up Bella from softball game


8PM the family reunites over homemade birthday cake

Whew! I'm tired just reading this!
Good thing we live in the Quiet Corner of CT!
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Welcome to Sonrise Morning Show Listeners

And thank you Brian Patrick for covering so much important information in our interview! Brian understands that when you disrespect the right to life of those with Down syndrome, all our dignity is diminished.
If you are not familiar with the Show click here. 
All the Catholic luminaries like Danielle Bean, Donna Marie Cooper-O'Boyle,  Patrick Madrid, Sarah Reinhard are on this wonderful show about everything Catholic.
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Webinar at noon today on Down syndrome-Alzheimer's Link

William Mobley leads the Down Syndrome Center for Research and Treatment at the University of California, San Diego.  The new center plans to integrate treatment and therapy with academic research on Down syndrome.  Since people with Down syndrome are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease, the center will make the nexus between the two disorders a prime research focus.  Where can researchers in the Down syndrome area make headway, and perhaps advance the our understanding of Alzheimer's disease?
You can learn more by joining a live webinar on Wednesday, 1 June 2011, at 12:00 noon, U.S. Eastern time. In this webinar, Dr. Mobley will share his vision for the new center and discuss how the latest research sharpens researchers’ understanding of both diseases.

Please consider forwarding this information to friends and family who would be interested in this presentation.  Readers can sign up here to receive frequent updates on Down syndrome cognitive research.

Robert C. Schoen, Ph.D.
Research Down Syndrome
Chicago, Illinois

Phone: RDS 877.863.2121
Email: rschoen@researchds.org or info@researchds.org
Website: www.researchds.org

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