Why We Exist
The abortion rate for babies prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome is currently around 92%! We could end there; that is reason enough for this organization to exist. But, as parents of Down syndrome children, we know the joy, the love, and the blessings that overflow from these children. We don't want anyone to miss out on that. Each of us has our own story about our children. Some of us knew before the birth of our babies that they would have Down syndrome, others not until they were born, and yet others of us were blessed with our children through adoption. Regardless of how we first encountered Down syndrome in our lives, we all discovered the same thing: a warm welcome into the family that Down syndrome created. That is why we exist. We are here to welcome others into our family, so they will know they are not alone.
- We do not offer counseling, but we offer friendship.
- We are not professionals with all of the answers, but we offer mom-to-mom and family-to-family support.
- We are here to pray, lend an ear, share a cup of coffee, introduce new families to the joy that awaits them, and hopefully save some lives in the process.
Meet Our Team
The Hagler Family
In September 2010, our family set off on a journey of faith. We did not seek out Down syndrome, but it found us: in the form of a little boy half a world away. Our adoption of Sasha, a nearly four-year-old boy with Down syndrome, turned into the adoption of two. We added both Sasha and Ana (a three-year-old girl, also with Down syndrome) to our family. Our brood now consists of two biological sons, Trey and Luke, and our blessings from the other side of the world, Sasha and Ana, both with a little something extra in their genes. It was through this process that we truly became aware of the heart of God for His children, and the mountains He will move for them. We decided to open ourselves up to whatever amazing things God has in store for us, and we certainly would not want to miss all of the beautiful moments He has planned. We pray that you will see the beauty He has planned for your life as well.
~ Gary & Lindsay
~ Gary & Lindsay
Tika Tollett
I became a Mommy for the first time in 2008 to a precious little princess, Leightyn, who happens to have a little something extra. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio with my husband and beautiful daughter. We are expecting our second little one to join our family in January of 2012. As a volunteer satellite group leader for our local Down syndrome association I plan a monthly Moms night out and play date to keep the local families connected. I feel so lucky to live in a place with such amazing resources for Leightyn. I have truly been blessed with some amazing friends that I probably would not have had the chance to meet if it wasn't for Down syndrome. Leightyn is the light of my life, and I love sharing our journey. If you have questions please feel free to ask.
~Tika
~Tika
Christine Sheffield
I have been married for 21 years to my best friend and we are parents of six, with “five underfoot” as I like to say. Our firstborn went to be with God when he was just a baby. Our youngest child, Braden, was born in November of 2010, and to our surprise and great pleasure he arrived with the blessing of a little something extra! After Braden’s birth, our family has truly seen the hand of God at work in our lives, and we are now working on welcoming another child with Down syndrome into our family, through adoption. We are looking forward to the many blessings this addition will bring. I feel confident stepping out on this journey of faith, as I have plenty of local support in the form of my local mom’s group, “the Sisterhood”. I discovered this group of amazing moms immediately after the birth of Braden, and I am forever grateful to have the support and friendship of my “sisters” as we walk this path together. I believe our family has been blessed with Braden, and I welcome the opportunity to reach out to other moms, as my “sisters” have reached out to me.
~Christine
~Christine