I’m tired. Big day today. Hopefully you got the Facebook updates on my page about Julian’s surgery going well! He is very tired but in good spirits, eating and recovering. Thought I’d share an article published recently on RebelMom.com
My Heroes: Gretchen Mather – Changing Perceptions
Posted on October 12, 2011 by Thara Pillai
Imagine unexpectedly giving birth to a child with Down syndrome (Ds) and feeling a sense of detachment towards your newborn baby. Would you be able to turn that experience around in a way that would help others?
My Hero for this week is Gretchen Mather, a mother who is changing perceptions and providing support for families who are touched by Ds and other types of special needs. She says it is a role she never expected to play but is very grateful to her son Julian for opening her eyes and changing her fundamentally for the better. Julian just so happens to have an extra copy of the 21st chromosome, more commonly known as Down syndrome.
Gretchen speaks of her son Julian like the proud parent she is, but through her blog, Julian’s Journey (blog.gretchenmather.com) she also shares an honest account of her son’s birth and the trouble she had accepting her son’s diagnosis. “This is a common occurrence for families who are facing a new diagnosis,” says Gretchen. “What I didn’t realize at first is that it is natural to go through a grieving process for the typically developing child I had expected.”
Continued…..READ THE FULL ARTICLE here:
http://www.rebelmom.com/my-heroes/my-heroes-gretchen-mather-changing-perceptions/
