Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Tuesday, October 4, 2016
(UNDATED) - “At first we were filled with emotions of fear, anxiousness, sadness, joy, excitement and everything in between,” said Tanya Kammerer mom to Henry and Boone county resident upon finding out her son was diagnosed with Down syndrome.
If you type, "Down syndrome" into a search engine, you can obtain over 7,000,000 results. With that many items on the web, how does a new parent know where to begin finding accurate and up to date information? T
That is why Down Syndrome Indiana New Parent Packets are needed and why Down Syndrome Indiana has launched the New Parent Packet Project. The goal of the project is to blanket 13 rural counties a year over a three-year period to make sure that parents and service providers alike have access to accurate and up to date information on Down syndrome.
October is Down Syndrome Awareness month. Down syndrome occurs in one out of every 691 babies born. When a parent learns that their baby is going to be born with Down syndrome or has been born with Down syndrome, they may and do often feel anger, despair, guilt, shame, rejection of their baby, depression, helplessness or they may feel happy, loving and accepting. No matter what a parent feels once learning of the diagnosis, every parent wants more information. Down Syndrome Indiana provides comprehensive New Parent Packets and a robust support network for parents that have a newborn with Down syndrome or have just learned of the diagnosis before their child is born. Tanya also added, "The new parent packet is a valuable resource and although I wasn't ready to dive in to it right away, my husband was and we learned a lot very quickly because of the resources therein."
If you are a service provider or a parent, especially in a rural area, and would like to request a New Parent Packet, please visit: http://www.dsindiana.org/RequestAParentPacket.php. A Spanish version of the packet is also available.
Down Syndrome Indiana is the only organization in the 43 of the 44 counties (Morgan County is the exception) that it serves who provides New Parent Packets to families who have a child with Down syndrome. No matter where one lives in the state, one can use this map to find the closest Down syndrome support group: http://www.dsindiana.org/find-a- group.php.
About Down syndrome Indiana
Down Syndrome Indiana is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with Down syndrome from infancy through adulthood. It is a one-stop-shop for information and resources on Down syndrome.
Down Syndrome Indiana would like to thank the following community foundations for their support of the New Parent Project: The Down Syndrome Indiana fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Boone County, Cass County Community Foundation, Grant County Community Foundation, Howard County Community Foundation, Johnson County Community Foundation, Rush County Community Foundation, Union County Community Foundation and the Western Indiana Community Foundation.
For more information, please visit: dsindiana.org.
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