Adopting children with Down Syndrome

[Guest guest]

Adopting children with Down Syndrome

By Meyer

April 18, 2007 - When a family adopts a child with a disability, it changes their life and the dynamic of their family in ways they could have never imagined.

Some families who adopt children with Down Syndrome, specifically, talk about the incredible joy their child has brought them. Five-year-old Kamille was adopted by single mom Donna Swanson when she was only a few days old. Donna always wanted to adopt a child with a disability. "Since I was in college, I worked with adults that had developmental disabilities," Donna said. "Also, Down Syndrome was kind of my favorite." Three-year-old Alaina is the only child of Helen and Nargas. Their niece and god daughter have Down Syndrome. "We were fortunate to get a call one day that this little girl was born premature and with Down Syndrome, and she needed a good home and we were more than ready to welcome her into our home," said Helen. Sixteen-month-old Gabby is the 7th child for the Egbert family. "We were looking to adopt because we just felt we could provide a home for a child who needed a home," said Ms. Egbert. "We weren't specifically look for special needs. We were just opening our home, just felt God calling us to add to our family, and Gabby came along." The staff at Gigi's Playhouse worked with these parents, helping them with resources and giving them a place to interact with other adoptive parents. There's a lot of joy raising a child with Down Syndrome, but like any other child, there are challenges. "I think my biggest challenge was this year going into kindergarten, just making sure that we got her into the right education that was good for her," said Donna Swanson. "This morning having her put on her coat was a struggle. I know that happens to all my brothers and sisters with all their children," said Vargas. "There's also a different kind of joy," said Ms. Egbert. "Everything that she does,I am so much more impressed with than when my typical children did those things. I'm just thrilled." Sometimes, they are challenged by people who do not approve of adopting these children. "There are so many things that people have approached us on and, you know, we had to grow thick skin because not everyone views things in life in the same way we did," Helen Vargas said. "And we were just so grateful for the blessing and the gift to have her into our lives." "I think that a lot of folks out there who would be willing to adopt children just don't really know anything about Down Syndrome, and what they hear from doctors isn't necessarily positive," Ms. Egbert said. "I think that it's scary for them. So, they would, maybe, have more questions to why someone would adopt a child with special needs," said Donna Swanson. "But, I think once they meet Kamille and I think once they see her potential and smile on her face, they won't have any more questions." "She's the light of my life, and I couldn't imagine my life without her," said Vargas. For more information on adopting children with Down Syndrome, go to www.gigisplayhouse.com.

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