DSA Press - DSAWM

A Letter from the President

by Brad Rivard

I’ve become fond of the phrase “Frustration and anxiety live in the space between reality and expectation”. For Rachael and I, we really started to feel that when we got Amelia’s diagnosis of Mosaic Down syndrome when she was 15 months old. We were, and still are, the typical parents who, to pull from the classic and very accurate “Welcome to Holland” essay by Emily Kingsley, landed in Holland but planned to be in Italy. We quickly realized that there was no need for the frustration and anxiety when we found the DSAWM and started to learn about the wonderful community and joys that having a child with Down syndrome can bring.

We’ve developed and lived the ethos that Amelia’s diagnosis changed nothing yet it changed everything. It changed nothing in that a parent’s mission is to provide the tools, resources, and experiences that allow your child to become the best version of themselves. It changed everything in terms of what resources, tools, and experiences we provide for her. Our mission as parents never changed, and never will.

Today, Amelia is the joy of our lives and like many she brings the joy and love into every room. While she challenges us at times – as all kids do – we wouldn’t change a thing.

Shortly after she was diagnosed, we got involved with the DSAWM. Over that next year, I had the honor to serve on the Board of Directors as a Member at Large, and then later as Vice President. To say the DSAWM has been a large part of our lives is an understatement. I am so proud to be part of an organization that embraces the challenges of change and the promise of progress while keeping true to the mission – supporting lifelong opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

Over the next couple of years I am excited for what the DSAWM has in store. We have been blessed with a wonderful staff who have embraced our community. We are actively working on both sustainability, as well as growth for the organization. Most importantly, we are continually working to provide valued experiences, programming, and education to our members that are consistent with the mission.

I look forward and thank you for your continued support of the DSAWM, and to seeing all of you at one of our upcoming events.

-Brad Rivard
President, DSAWM

Summer Camp Fun

by Maria Leestma

Artists Creating Together Camp
People from ACT got ready for summer at art camp at Meijer Gardens. They brought yarn, wire, watercolor paint, paint brushes, rocks, crayons, glue, and balloons. The students were signed up and came Monday through Wednesday to learn about cultures and structures. Monday, we rode on the tram and looked at different artists. We went back to the building and we worked on a portrait and sculpture. Tuesday, we went back to the building and made our own stick sculptures. On Wednesday, the students were assigned to work outside. Then we got back from the walk and started to make sculptures. We made flowers for the flowerpots. Then we made flowers out of fabric. The last thing was that we went on the tram. That night, the parents came to see the art that we did. Then we took our projects home. I had lots of fun.

Young Life Discipleship Camp
On Thursday, I road in a car to Holland with my Young Life leader. We road to the restaurant to have lunch. After that, we road again to Hope College. We unloaded our suitcases. Next, we had club. We learned about God and how to serve him and other people. We overflow in our love to him by serving others. We got some ice cream. On Friday in the morning we had breakfast. We went to the club at the Dow Center. Later, we served food for people at the Mission. On Friday night, we dressed up like it was the ’80s. We played bingo to earn a prize. On Saturday morning we had breakfast and club. We went to the lake and we floated in the water. We had lots of fun. Then we went horseback riding. At night we had a dance party. On Sunday morning it was the last day. We had to say goodbyes to everyone. I hope I can go there again!

Celebrating an Extra Chromosome

by Ruth Lee

Ruth’s daughter Jenna at the DSAWM Member Talent Show.

Dear Fellow Travelers

My road to Independence
is currently under construction.

The work can be messy, noisy,
irritating, and inconvenient.
Ride with me.

Expect speed bumps, pot holes,
abrupt lane changes, unexpected curves, sudden stops.
Ride with me.

Construction could take days…years…
a lifetime…The work may never end…
Ride with me.

I’m on my way.

Jenna at Bike Camp.

My Kid Has More Chromosomes Than Yours

The laundry–folded differently–
has not been folded wrong;
Singing to a different beat
will not destroy the song;
Art deemed “inappropriate”
should be talked about, not nixed;
People born untypical
do not need to be fixed.

God Answered My Prayers in a Coffee Shop

Lori Tepastte, Grand Rapids

On February 9, 2016, I sat in the waiting room with my husband and our immediate family at a local hospital waiting for the arrival of my third grandchild. My daughter and son-in-law hadn’t found out the gender of the baby, so we were anxiously awaiting to hear the big news. Then it came. They were blessed with another little girl who they would name Natalie. My oldest granddaughter, Grace, was so excited! She had told all of us that she only wanted a sister. When I heard that I had another granddaughter, Grace and I held hands and danced around in circles. I was so happy for Grace. I was happy for our entire family. It is truly one of life’s greatest joys to welcome a new baby into the family.

The mood in the room quickly changed, though. My son-in-law said the doctor thought my newest granddaughter was born with Down syndrome. My heart stopped beating. I knew in an instant that I had to stay composed because Grace was right there. I had promised her that we would go to the hospital gift shop as soon as we knew the gender of the baby, so she could buy presents for her new baby sister. I was holding back tears and trying to keep it together. I wanted Grace to remember this day with joy.

I was terrified and numb. It’s the only way I can describe how I was feeling on that day. I knew almost nothing about Down syndrome, except for the cognitive impairment. Natalie was quickly taken to the NICU, as babies with Down syndrome usually are. She was placed on oxygen. Grace kept asking to see her new baby sister and we kept coming up with reasons why she couldn’t. The next five days moved so slowly. I was worried about my daughter and son-in-law and my two granddaughters. What would this Down syndrome diagnosis mean for all of them? How difficult would their lives be? I had so many questions swirling through my head and so much fear!

Three days later, my husband and I finally got to meet Natalie and hold her. We had to scrub our hands and arms up to our elbows and put on hospital gowns. My heart was pounding as I entered the NICU. What a scary place. It was quiet and still, and all you heard was the humming of machines keeping precious little preemies alive. Natalie was the biggest baby in the dark room and was hooked up to many wires. I held her in my arms and gently rocked her. Questions started swirling in my head again, but I told her we were going to love her and I was going to be the best grandma to her that I could be.

Natalie came home on oxygen. I had never seen such a little baby on oxygen before. I would stand at her crib and watch her sleep. I was drowning in fear. I wasn’t sleeping or eating. I was trying my best to process the fact that my newest granddaughter had Down syndrome. I had a lot of guilt because I was so fearful. I did a lot of praying. I kept asking God to give me faith and move forward. Several months went by. Natalie had so many doctor appointments and testing. I went to appointments and helped all I could. We had been told the day she was born that her heart was fine, but that would not prove to be true. Natalie had three holes in her heart. She had a great pediatric heart specialist. He kept a watchful eye on her heart.

My first answer from God came in the form of a sweet smile from Natalie. She looked me directly in the eyes and smiled at me as I was talking to her. I can’t explain it, but it felt as though we had made a special connection in that moment.

In the spring, my husband had to travel to North Carolina on business. My birthday was coming up and my husband thought it would be good for us to get away for a little trip to the beach. I still wasn’t sleeping very well and I had lost weight. I kept praying for God to show me everything was going to be okay.

We flew into Greensboro, North Carolina. We got our luggage and headed toward the rental car. As we started down the road I turned my phone back on. I had a new email from my daughter. Early that morning, my daughter’s roommate from college had watched a segment on a local North Carolina news channel about a coffee shop in Wilmington that hired people with cognitive impairments. Melissa had emailed my daughter to give her some encouragement. My daughter didn’t know where we were staying in North Carolina, but she thought it would be a meaningful experience for my husband and I to check it out. I googled the location of the coffee shop and, what do you know, it was only about 25 minutes from our condo! I called my daughter and she couldn’t believe it.

My husband and I drove to the coffee shop. There was a line out of the door. As we waited our turn, I began to feel apprehensive about what we were walking into. We approached the front counter and ordered two coffees. I explained to the manager that we had just flown in from Michigan and had a new granddaughter born with Down syndrome. I showed them pictures of Natalie and they congratulated me and said she was beautiful. Tears started running down my cheeks. No one had said those words to me when Natalie was born. Most people didn’t know what to say, so they said nothing. I asked about the owner. I wanted to meet her. She had two biological children born with Down syndrome and that was the reason why she opened the coffee shop. She wanted to provide a place where people with cognitive impairments could work. The manger said that unfortunately she didn’t work on that particular day, so we got our coffees and sat down and just observed how happy everyone was there.

As we sat, the owner pulled up in her car. I heard the manager say, “That’s strange. Amy never comes here on this day.” The owner got out of her car with her arms full of white sleeves of coffee cups. She came in the front door and walked to the back of the shop. I could feel tears run down my cheeks again. I wanted to thank her for giving hope to people with cognitive impairments. I wanted to thank her for giving hope to families who loved someone with special needs. One of the ladies I had shown a picture of Natalie to when we ordered our coffees followed the owner to the backroom. I could hear her talking. She said there was a customer wanting to meet her. I heard her say, “She has a new granddaughter born with Down syndrome.” Amy Wright, the owner of Bitty and Beau’s Coffee Shop, walked out of the backroom and over to us. The first thing she said was, “Everything is going to be okay, I promise.” She asked to see a picture of Natalie and said she was beautiful. She showed me pictures of her children with Down syndrome, too. We talked for a while, we both had tears in our eyes, and as we parted we shared a warm hug. So many things fell into place on that day for me to end up in that little coffee shop in Wilmington, North Carolina. I had been asking God to calm my fear and he did in such a clear way.

That September, Natalie required open heart surgery. Our family traveled to Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. The surgeon and staff were amazing and Natalie’s surgery went well. Today, Natalie is a loving little girl who is determined and empathetic. She always has hugs and kisses for me and loves you to read her books. She loves her big sister immensely and often sneaks into Grace’s room to play with her toys. She is starting to walk unattended and is so proud of herself.

As I have reflected on the birth of my granddaughter, I have come to believe that God gave me a new pair of glasses the day Natalie was born. Those new glasses have allowed me to see the world differently. I never would have seen the world in this new way without Natalie. I like to think that I am a better person because I am Natalie’s grandmother.

Change for the Better

Chloe Peters, Forest Hills

I was always considered the princess of the family. Surrounded by two big brothers, habitually I was spoiled and always obtained what I wanted. Photographs of me splashed the walls of our house. The world revolved around my needs. I only realized I received the most attention from my parents when it was suddenly stolen from me in November of 2009. My family transitioned from a family of five to a family of six. The newest addition was yet another boy, so the princess label remained with me, but the label did not bring the attentive spotlight it always held.

My newest brother, Cale, was considered “different” to most people. At my age, I was unaware that most babies did not spend the first month of their life in the hospital. Lake me, Cale was given a label. However, his label was something I had never heard before: Down syndrome. I feared the word “different.” It was always attached to a negative connotation, but I quickly learned that I did not have to treat Cale any differently. Over time, the picture frames on the walls contained pictures of my little brother instead of me. I respected the change because in exchange I changed myself for the better. I learned to love others no matter if they are “different” or not.

Sometimes, even a princess needs to experience change. Change pushed me to experience and learn new things. Cale taught me to respect everyone. I learned life is not all about me. Cale opened my eyes to see that you get more out of life if you encourage and love others for who they are. Little did I know the affectionate eight-year old I know now would have the greatest impact on my life. I am thankful for losing my spotlight, for I learned far more watching the light sine upon my little brother.

Stepping Up to the Plate

Now in its 22nd year, the Step Up for Down Syndrome fundraiser and celebration has grown from only a handful of participants to the largest Down syndrome awareness event in Michigan. On Saturday, September 22nd, 1,255 walkers gathered at Fifth Third Ballpark to celebrate their loved ones with Down syndrome and support DSAWM. Together, our walkers, donors, and sponsors helped us hit a home run and raise $138,000 to fund the many programs and services that DSAWM offers our members.

Kynsee, left, featured on the DSAWM billboard.

Teamwork is an important part of Step Up and while we certainly all work towards the same goal, walkers are encouraged to create their own teams for some friendly fundraising competition. Leading up to the big day, incentives are offered to keep teams working towards the coveted title of Top Fundraising Team. This team receives special recognition on event day, will have their loved one with Down syndrome featured on a billboard, and takes home the Step Up trophy. DSAWM has seen some close races to the number one spot over the past few years and 2018 was no exception. After weeks bouncing between third and fourth place, Kynsee’s Krew submitted one last donation minutes before the competition closed, propelling themselves to the top of the leader board. Those familiar with Kynsee’s Krew know that this win was a big deal. Over the past few years, Kynsee’s parents Kevin and Kristi Wadkins have kicked their fundraising efforts into over-drive. We sat down to talk with Kevin about his team’s grassroots approach to fundraising and what Step Up means to his family.

When did you first participate in Step Up and why?

My family was registered to walk in 2012, but that year it was cancelled because of weather, so our first official walk was 2013. As new parents, my wife and I wanted to get involved with the DSAWM and learn how special our kiddos are. We had no idea what to expect as neither one of us had any family members with Down syndrome.

What did your first year of fundraising look like and how does that compare to this year of fundraising?

Our first couple years of fundraising were nothing compared to the past three years. The first few were basically just team registrants and a few donations from family and friends. The past three years, though, have been pretty busy. We finished in second place for fundraising in both 2016 and 2017. After that, I said I was after the number one spot. We started fundraising for this year’s event the evening of the 2017 walk. We always have a celebration after the walk and last year sold 50/50 tickets to kick-off our fundraising. I have been collecting returnables all year. We had a canvas painting party and Euchre party. We made planter boxes and birdhouses from old barnwood that was donated by friends of ours. Some of our other friends had a bake sale. We had a golf outing. The Ionia Farm Power Club donated money to us from their annual pie auction. We sold t-shirts. Friends had a family garage sale and donated a percentage of their sales to us. 2018 was very busy!

When and how did you start getting your community involved?

Over the past three years our community has been really supportive. We have had two local restaurants have Kynsee Krew fundraiser days where a percentage of their sales supports our team. Mostly it is just by word of mouth. We also have a lot of support from friends and family. Our friends get their friends involved and it turns into one big family.

Do you see a lot of familiar faces returning every year to support Kynsee’s Krew? What do you think keeps them coming back?

We do see a lot of returning supporters every year. They see how much their support means to our family and I think they see how hard we work to help support the DSAWM.

You finally won the Step Up trophy this year! What does that mean to your family?

It means so much to us. We have been so close the previous two years and we finally did it. All the hard work and dedication has finally paid off.

Most important question: Where will you display the trophy?
It is proudly displayed on a shelf at our house so everyone can see it.

What would you like new families joining the DSA to know about Step Up and the DSAWM community?

Step Up is a great way to help raise awareness and funding for the DSAWM community. To be involved and see how many people come out to support the DSAWM is amazing. There are so many different resources for new families through the DSAWM. It’s a great community to be involved and a great way to meet other families raising kids with Down syndrome. There is so much help and support from the organization and that is why we are so grateful to be a part of this great community.

Next year’s Step Up for Down Syndrome will be Saturday, September 21, 2019. We will be returning to Fifth Third Ballpark and look forward to turning it up to 11 with our theme “Rockin’ an Extra Chromosome!” We can’t wait to see you there.

Photos courtesy of Alyssa Eckel-Martin.

Allie’s Corner

Allie Cowden is DSAWM’s long-time intern. While working in the office, she assists with mailings, puts together our new member packets, and lends a hand for programming set-up. Allie turns 26 this fall and in the coming year will graduate from school and begin her adult life. We asked her about this big change in her life, and how she is spending the year before she starts this new chapter.

What is your favorite thing to do during the summer?
My favorite thing to do in the summer is go to the farmers market in Ada. I get to sell lots of pies and cookies to people at the farmers market. My other favorite thing to do is go to the beach and hang out with my friends. I also like working at McDonald’s and Cookie Chicks. It’s fun working at both places. This summer I want to spend more time with my CLS worker and do fun activities together.

Have you traveled recently?
I traveled to Germany, Austria, Italy, and Venice with my family. We saw lots of castles and churches. When we were in Venice we took a water taxi and went to a few stores to shop. We had fun!

What are you looking forward to when you go back to school in the fall?
I’m excited to go back to my program in the fall. I’m looking forward to seeing my friends and teachers again.

How do you feel about your last year of school? What makes you excited? Does anything make you sad?
I am excited and sad about my last year of school. I feel excited when we do social networking events and when I hang out with my peers. I feel sad because when school ends I won’t get to see my peers very often.

What are your goals over the next year?
I want to be a self-advocate, cook new recipes, and learn how to use a grill.

What do you want to do after you graduate?
After I graduate, I want to be more independent and have more freedom. I want to get a house in Grand Rapids and keep working at McDonald’s. I want to take classes at Grand Rapids Community College. Someday, I want to become a public speaker.

Is your child also approaching 26? Check out our Transitions resource page for information about housing, transportation, guardianship planning, and more.

An Inclusive Summer

Katherine Mills, Kalamazoo

It’s funny how God chooses to fix things that are broken in your life. He has used my daughter (who rocks an extra chromosome) to help transform me into a much better version of myself than what existed only 6 short years ago.

Had my children been born calm, compliant and average, I probably would have been one of the first parents to question why children who were not like mine could be included in classrooms and activities. That, however, was not the case and I was given children who would be considered “energetic”, “in need of redirection”, and “exceptional” (if we are stating things nicely). I am now a huge advocate of inclusion. How will my kids learn to behave appropriately in social situations if they are not given many opportunities to observe and participate? For this reason, each summer, I have signed my daughter up for many Vacation Bible Schools and camps that are not specifically intended for children with special needs.

In years past, I would just sign her up and drop her off without letting anyone know she had special needs. For one, I didn’t want them to turn her down sight unseen, but I also didn’t want them making assumptions about her based on a diagnosis. This caused a lot of frustration on their part and a lot of tears from what felt like rejection and exclusion on mine.

This year, on registration forms I added her dx, a few helpful hints, and a “please call me with any further questions”. They, however, did not call with further questions and our first VBS of the year was off to a rocky start. The leader of this VBS was, however, committed to making things work for us. I quickly worked to provide them with a full range of tools that helped us finish the week on a strong note. This mostly involved taking what worked for her in the classroom last year and making it portable.

A list of expectations of both my daughter and the leader (most ideas credited to author David Stein):

Presume competence – My daughter is smart. She knows to test the waters and see how much she can get away with because this isn’t her first rodeo and she’s gotten away with a lot in the past. When people with limited experience with kids who have a visible disability see them walking through the door, they don’t know what to expect of them. “Should I carry them everywhere? Are they able to follow directions?” I’ve realized that it’s my job to let them know.

What can they do to redirect poor behavior and promote positive behavior? – For my daughter, using “first/then” is huge. If she is having trouble attending to a task, letting her know that there is a different activity coming up soon, but that she must complete her current task first is HUGE. Her classroom teachers have also had great success with visual cues, so we also provided a lanyard with familiar pictures for actions like “sit”, “quiet”, “walk with the group”, etc.

Motivators – No one works for free. They either expect a paycheck or a feeling of satisfaction at the end of a day’s work and my daughter isn’t any exception. Something as little as an “emoji” stamp can go a long way in building positive behavior momentum. On the back of the lanyard we also provide a “happy/sad” card to help her understand how her actions are making her teacher feel. If the teacher reports that she mostly stayed on happy, then my daughter gets a predefined reward when she gets home.

Attitude – We can’t feel guilty or ashamed for asking people to stretch their understanding for our kids. When meeting my daughter’s 3rd VBS leader (the first two were young teens who didn’t think they were up for the job), she made the comment that she felt *I* should be the one staying with her and not her. It was a hurtful and frustrating comment that made me feel, among other things, trapped in the life of a parent of a kid with special needs. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of practice responding to comments like these and I replied by calmly and confidently smiling and saying, “I understand where you are coming from, but she needs to learn how to behave away from me and I can’t think of a better way to do that than by giving her access to places that her peers are welcomed. Also, you don’t ask any of these other moms to stay with their kids, right?” I don’t think she had considered that point of view before and thankfully the woman was very receptive to my response and seemed to understand fully what I was saying.

Consistency – I think that the presence of the visual materials (lanyard) carried by the leaders goes a long way for my daughter in legitimizing their authority as well as giving her the comfort of something familiar.

Despite the rocky start, we ended on such a successful note that I decided to preemptively reach out to the rest of the places where I had her signed up. I made a phone call to the Kalamazoo Nature Center to explain our situation. The director there was clearly already committed to making camp “the best week ever” for all kids, including those with disabilities. I sent her an email with pictures of the lanyard, along with suggestions. They put her in a group with a strong leader and she rose the occasion. She felt so valued and included. It really was “the best week ever”!

There will always be people (probably similar to the “me” of 6 years ago) who are just not willing to make inclusion work, but when we meet them we lick our wounds and get back up and try again.

In the end, when inclusion works, everyone wins. The leaders see the capabilities of a child with Down syndrome, the other students see that children with disabilities do belong in society, and my daughter has one more social experience (without mom) under her belt. We shall see what the rest of our summer holds!

My Sister Chloe

Peyton Brill, Grand Haven

Down syndrome is something that many people struggle to understand. I’ve spent the last 11 years learning about it from my younger sister Chloe and there’s still so much more to learn. Over time, I have noticed how Chloe is constantly treated differently by others. I want to follow her and shield her wherever she goes, but that is just not possible. I have also become accustomed to mixed reactions from people when they learn that Chloe has Down syndrome. One of the hardest reactions to respond to is when people say “oh, I’m sorry…” as though Down syndrome is a burden. Fortunately, having Chloe in my life has taught me the importance of patience. Having patience keeps me from becoming angry at other people’s lack of knowledge and instead helps me to teach them about what Down syndrome really means.

When Chloe was about five, we went to Crazy Bounce and she was ecstatic, like a kid in a candy store. The slides were steep and slippery, but she was determined to get to the top. Years later, I still vividly remember Chloe working her way up the giant tiger slide. Ignorant teenagers began sprinting up behind us. One boy began making rude remarks about Chloe and her speed. I asked him to stop, but he in turn decided to shake the slide. As much as I wanted to go teach that kid a lesson, I just turned towards Chloe and followed her the rest of the way up. People with Down syndrome are often known for their unconditional love and so often I wonder how they manage it given the way they are so often mistreated. If the boy who made fun of Chloe had fallen, she would have been the first to run up and give him a hug, no matter how he had treated her, because that is just who she is.

Inclusion is getting better, but there is still a long way to go. Part of the reason I love camping with my family is because we can escape the small-town bubble where we spend so much of our time. Traveling with someone who has Down syndrome is thought by many to be a hassle. I will be the first to admit that sometimes the stimulation of visiting new places and trying new things can be a bit much for anyone, especially someone with special needs. When my family first got a camper, we had no clue how things were going to go, but there is no way to tell unless you try. For Chloe, our motor home has become a second home. It’s a place that she is familiar with and where she can return to if trying new things gets overwhelming. We have gone on all sorts of trips and Chloe has met many new friends. So many of the people we meet along the way are kind and open-minded. Kids from the campground will run up to our site looking for Chloe and they’ll all run off together to play. Nobody is born with the biases that are so often directed towards individuals with special needs. Seeing Chloe with all the accepting people we’ve met while traveling helps me to see that even though there are those who may try to break her down, there are a lot of people who will always support and stand up for her.

Throughout my life, I have been blessed to meet friends from my community with Down syndrome and they are honestly some of the most down-to-earth people I have ever met. At my school we have a program called POPS which stands for Power of Peer Support. The focus of the club is increasing inclusion in the school. Even simple lunches together can create great memories and show the value in small moments of acceptance, especially because people with special needs are so often left out. I have seen so many friendships form through this club and learned a lot about people who I did not know that well. Keeping a club going at school can be difficult. Many people are focused on more popular activities and are scared to try something new. Receiving messages from parents of students with special needs about how much POPS means to them and their child has pushed me to reach out and grow the club and inclusion in the school.

Recently, I ran an event called Buddy Games. During the event, individuals with special needs were paired with a buddy who stayed by their side and encouraged them as they practiced basic soccer skills like passing, dribbling, and shooting. Afterwards, a scrimmage game was held for everyone to participate in. Over 40 people participated and many of the volunteer buddies were students from Grand Haven High School. The event was totally eye-opening. Seeing inclusion on the field was just a small step towards eliminating some of the biases that people have about those with special needs. The smiles on everyone’s faces were ear-to-ear and you could feel the unconditional love. Chloe often asks to participate on school teams, but those teams tend to progress quickly and, while she is just as capable as everyone else, sometimes she needs the pace to be modified. Buddy Games was not only an opportunity that allowed Chloe and others to play on a sports team that fit their needs, but it also gave everyone who came the ability to learn about others who they perceive to be unable.

The hardest part of having a sibling with special needs is seeing the way others put her down. Learning to let Chloe work through this challenge on her own is difficult and I constantly find myself stepping in to guard her. Chloe is strong though. There are days when she completely amazes me in how she carries herself so independently and, through it all, with love.

Thank You

2017 was a year of change for the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan. In late Spring, DSAWM experienced a complete staff turnover. As those with whom many of you were familiar departed for other exciting opportunities, new candidates were carefully sought who would bring passion and commitment to their roles. During this search, members were asked to have patience while program scheduling changed and outreach was limited. Your understanding was greatly appreciated and allowed us to build a new staff of qualified and eager individuals. In July, Jennifer Richards DeVault became the first new DSAWM face as the organization’s Executive Director. Nate Clark joined a few months later as the new Program Director and Victoria Hart followed shortly after in the role of Administrative Assistant (and DSA Press Editor…Hello!). The three of us have learned a lot about DSAWM and the West Michigan Down syndrome community in the short time that we have been here and we are learning more everyday thanks to all of you, our fantastic members, donors, and advocates. We are truly honored to serve such a passionate and giving community. Thank you for continuing to support our mission of promoting public awareness and supporting lifelong opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Together, we will make 2018 our best year yet!