Editorial Review:

(2008 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA): Gold Award; 2008 Mom's Choice Awards: Silver Recipient, Special & Exceptional Needs; 2008 Nautilus Award: Silver Winner, Memoir/Personal Growth)

Having a baby with Down syndrome is not something most parents would willingly choose. Yet many who travel this path discover rich, unexpected rewards along the way. In this candid and poignant collection of personal stories, sixty-three mothers describe the gifts of respect, strength, delight, perspective, and love, which their child with Down syndrome has brought into their lives. The contributors to this collection have diverse personalities and perspectives, and draw from a wide spectrum of ethnicity, world views, and religious beliefs. Some are parenting within a traditional family structure; some are not. Some never considered terminating their pregnancy; some struggled with the decision. Some were calm at the time of diagnosis; some were traumatized. Some write about their pregnancy and the months after giving birth; some reflect on years of experience with their child. Their diverse experiences point to a common truth: The life of a child with Down syndrome is something to celebrate. These women have something to say--not just to other mothers but to all of us.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

Christmas gift:

'Gifts' is the book I will give to my doctor, my OBGYN, my daughters' pediatrician with the money we save by eating more simply this Advent. Our middle daughter has Down Syndrome and the 63 chapters by mothers of children with Down Syndrome continually resonated with my experiences.
Last year my father gave me the gift of giving someone else a goat in a poor country through Heifer International. It struck me that "Gifts" is a perfect gift to the person who 'has everything'. One could give one copy... more info

A Gift in Itself:

This is a warm and touching read. It was a pleasure hearing the stories of parents of children with Down's. As a Speech Pathologist and Teacher of the Speech/Language Impaired, I would highly recommend this to both my collegues and clients.

Valuable Resource:

"Down syndrome is the most common genetic condition, happening once in every 730 births. Down syndrome occurs among people of all races and all economic levels and affects more than 350,000 American families." The sixty-three women who share their stories of raising a child with Down syndrome in "Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives" breathe life into that statistic.
Kathryn Lynard Soper's son Thomas was born premature and with Down syndrome. In inviting women to... more info

This is THE book for new parents to read:

When I found out my daughter had Ds (at her birth), I was initially devestated. My fears drove me to devour anything written about Ds, and my sister ordered several books from Amazon while I was still recovering in the hospital. Most of the books detailed the medical and developmental issues many children with Ds face, and I found them disheartening. I finally had to put them aside and just focus on loving my daughter and getting to know her. I wish I had read THIS book at that time, as I would have found... more info

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