Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives

As the Grandmother of our wonderful new baby grandson of six weeks I was anxious to find out as much as I could about Down Syndrome. However, I did not want to be swamped with so much information that might be more off putting than helpfull at this vulnerable time. Then I found this lovely book ``Gifts``where in every story told by mothers there was love and hope and great happiness. Reading the experiences of these families and how they coped with different situations made me laugh and cry but most of all what came through to me was the unfailing determination to allow the children to live a happy and fulfilled life. This book is a great insight into the lives of families with childrern with special needs and the wonderful opportunities that are available for them. I found this book very uplifting and positive - it leaves me looking forward to the future knowing that we have all the ingredients in our family to make a great life for our grandson ; A fantastic Mam and Dad, two older brothers and a big family that loves him very much.

I picked this book up and could not put it down. Even writing about it now I am crying. I am a sibling of a Down's Syndrome Child who became a Down's Syndrome Adult. My brother died in April and it is still difficult to not break down every time I see a person with Down's Syndrome because I miss his presence on the planet. The book is exceptionally honest. I was glad to see the book didn't back away from the question of termination of pregnancies when it is determined the baby has Down's. I was afraid it might be all like a fairy tale, "Look how happy we are with our special needs child!" and while the stories generally focused on the upbeat and gift-filled endings, there was a lot of truthfulness in the struggle. It also shared of marraiges that failed as a result of the challenges inherent in having a child with Down's syndrome. The photos were absolutely beautiful. There was one little girl, Madison Crouse, who could be a beauty queen. There was a family that is comprised of four adoptive children, all with Down's Syndrome and a biological child without Down's Syndrome. My only criticism of the book is there aren't stories by people with older children with Down's. I realize it is probably because the stories were mostly (or all?) written by website contributers, but it would have been great to read a story from someone "like me" -

My son with Down's syndrome was recently born. I was having one of those days where I felt "down" about his Down's syndrome. My husband surprised me with the book, Gifts. I immediately started reading, and I couldn't put the book down. The book made me feel acceptance. I accepted my son straight from his birth, but I couldn't accept my own feelings. Gifts helped me to do so, because many of the mothers felt the same way I did. I no longer feel alone. I recommend this book to any mom, dad, teacher, obstetrician, etc. who is involved with a child with Down's syndrome. It is truly inspirational!

I am the father of an 18 year old daughter with DS and am physician in chief of Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. GIFTS is one of the most inspiring books I have read. And I am not noted for being a warm, fuzzing, sensitive guy; in fact, recently my wife said that I scored quite low on the "sensitivity scale." I have given copies of GIFTS to about 50 new parents of babies with DS at our IDSF (Indiana Down Syndrome) and DADS (Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome) functions and when babies with DS have been admitted to Riley Hospital, usually for open heart surgery. The response from these parents has been one of the most amazing things I have observed. One mother told me that this book is exactly what she needed when she was having such emotional difficulties shortly after the birth of their new baby. I bought another 100 copies of GIFTS and will give a copy to any parent of a baby with DS or who is pregnant with a baby with DS. Rich Schreiner, Indianapolis IN Rich Schreiner | 06.14.07 - 9:45 am |

As a parent of a child with Down Syndrome, it's very hard to find "inspirational" stories. All the physicians have negative viewing materials. This book allowed me to know, I'm not alone, it's not all bad and what a wonderful experience we all can experience if we'd shut our mouths and open our minds.