Parham.org

One of the very first things that Amy and I recognized following Ava’s birth was that we were now members of a new club. I don’t mean that in a trite kind of way. I mean that we realized that we would be forever and profoundly connected to a new group of people. Just after her birth, I might have said, “People who have been affected by Down syndrome.” Or perhaps “afflicted.” Now I say, “People who have been blessed by Down syndrome.” And I don’t mean that in a trite or saccharine kind of way. I mean that I have not only accepted with gratitude the fact that Ava has Down syndrome, but that I and many others around us have been reworked into better people. At times that process has come with joy, and other times with great pain — but better all the same.

Yesterday I received an email via this website from another so connected individual. Her message, with permission, is below.

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I’ve been looking at your website. I was interested in reading about the birth of Ava, and the many things she has already taught you. The poem by the young teen was so touching and so true. The subject of Down syndrome is especially close to my heart because my oldest brother had DS. He grew up with the rest (6) of us on a homestead in Alaska. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 56, having held a job for many years, and enjoying many friends in the church and community. After his death, I wrote a book about him, in the hope that it would encourage other families who might relate and/or learn something from our experiences. If you’d like to take a look at my website, it’s www.fireweedtales.com.

Thanks again for your interesting website.

Mary Perry
Anchor Point, AK