Another year has rolled by and it’s October again – International Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
So many thoughts racing through my head as I sit in front of the blank post and the cursor blinks waiting for my next letter, next word, sentence…
What do we want to inform people about? Who do we want to inform? And do people want to be informed?
My thoughts are not random, my hesitations are not groundless, my doubts about the meaning of everything are not meaningless… And no, all this is not caused by my child with Down syndrome!
The occasion is the publication of Dr. Penka Shapkova‘s book “Approaches to personal development, support and inclusion of children with Down syndrome“. This is the first Bulgarian scientific monograph dedicated to Down syndrome. It is written in Bulgarian by a Bulgarian author – university professor, special pedagogue and speech therapist with many years of experience with children with the syndrome.
A book that, if it had been available 7 years ago when I was pregnant with my Down syndrome baby, would have saved me hours, days, nights and weeks of painstakingly gathering and swallowing foreign language materials about the syndrome from a variety of sources . It would give me answers to the many questions that were tearing me apart and save me loads of anxious wandering in search of the information I needed about what Down syndrome is, how it will affect our lives and whether it is compatible with life at all…
A book that gives knowledge to the seeker, but above all faith and hope. A book that inspires courage and shows that everything is possible with love, patience and support.
That is why some of the questions and comments accompanying the news of the release of this book, which were sent to the author on social networks by parents of children with Down syndrome, at first endlessly puzzled me, and then deeply saddened me. They made me ask myself the questions I shared above and think about human nature…
However, I chose to focus on the positive again. I chose to write and post for those like me who are eagerly seeking or will be seeking information about their future or current child with Down syndrome. Because I sincerely believe that even if you helped just one person, supported just one family, changed just one human destiny for the better, then it was worth it…
Happy October! The month in which we talk and share information about Down syndrome for the third year in a row. We continue now 🙂
Expect our interview with Dr. Shapkova about the book and more soon. I’ll end this post (but not the thread) with her words about choosing a book cover.
The choice of cover is a look inside, an insight into the understanding of Down syndrome. I define this vision as soul vision. This is the author’s point of view. I advocate the idea of the right to life of children with Down syndrome, their right to have parents, caring and loving mothers who will not abandon them in institutions or for adoption. I advocate the idea that it is not children with Down syndrome who need to change, but ourselves. I advocate the belief that we adults must become like children with Down syndrome – easy-going, loving, pure-hearted and kind, in order to pass through the gates of heaven! The message on the cover is: love your children as God loves them because they chose you, their strong and amazing mothers!!!
