These are the posts that have made me laugh and cry while writing them, in one easy to find page.
These are the posts that have made me laugh and cry while writing them, in one easy to find page.
If you read one post then I guess this should be it. It has been known to reduce grown men, PRs and journalists to tears. It has helped and comforted friends and family and been used to train professionals. It also got a standing ovation when I read it at Britmums Live in 2012. What to Say When a Baby is Born with Down's Syndrome. There's a little video too if you just want to whatch me read it to you.
Love from Uncle Carl is the most heart-wrenching yet heart-warming account of Natty's arrival into our world through the eyes of my brother, her Uncle Carl. He writes here, in a way that he was never able to tell me face to face.
One of my first posts ever, written over a year ago, was the Photo Gallery of Hope. It's title says exactly what I was trying to do, provide hope to new families via a few photos from our journey.
Living Life to the Full tells our story of birth, shock, diagnosis, grief and acceptance. Our shaky start and our journey to pride and love.
I am never one to judge. I wrote Diagnosis Downs in an attempt to support parents who have just heard their baby may have Down's Syndrome during their pregnancy.
Sometimes, along the line, the journey of life, we will all meet the bigots, the hurtful trolls, the spanners in our works. Here are my thoughts on how to deal with Outshining The Bigots.
When Natty was born I worried about the impact it would have on Mia's life. The words she wrote From One Sister to Another show how wrong I was. When Mia was away on school trip, Natty missed her terribly and I wove her words into a post Natty Misses her Big Sister Mia.
The Significance of the Birthday Party Invite True inclusion is a two-way street, as Natty's classmates prove. I write about the heartwarming scenes I witnessed at a recent party she was invited to.
Read about the unexpected emotions unlocked by Natty's starring role as Mary in the Nativity play. Nativity Star Revelations.
The Doctor's Waiting Room or The Value of Our Daughter's Life. Natty really knows how to work a room and possesses a touchingly intuitive ability to dig deep into people's souls. Here I describe how she comforted others in the waiting room one morning.
A thank you to my naked body for the beautiful children it has created and forgiveness for the miscarriages it endured in Thank You Body For What You Have Done.
Of course, Downs Side Up is a place of humour too, and none made me giggle more than Poogate as I wrote it, the tale of the badly-timed poo in a posh car showroom.
A sweet fairy tale follows. The story of a Princess and a mislaid tooth in The Toothless Fairy.
Sometimes you might be after practical tips or fun ways to learn. You might enjoy Writing Tips for Children with Down's Syndrome for example, or Top Tips for Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities.
Evidence by Downs Side Up in Parliamentary Inquiry: I am rather proud to have been invited to travel to London from Cornwall to give evidence to this multi-party commission into the current Disabilty Abortion Law. I spent many nights researching, and read things that I wished I hadn't. But who can stand by and let it be considered acceptable to abort babies 'up to and including during birth' for the undefined reason of 'severe handicap'. I also put a strong case for supporting parents at point of diagnosis much more, giving balanced information for them to make informed choices.
Of course, parenting a child is hard work, and parenting a child with health issues, or a disability of any sort can be worrying and exhausting. Respite and the Importance of True Friends tells of how I found myself having brain scans after too many years of not taking a break.
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