On March 1, 2013, my little
family had the pleasure of attending an event at the Oak Lawn Children’s Museum
called “See My Ability, Not My Disability.”
The evening was a celebration of our special children. This event was organized by Holly Simon, the
mother of a Down’s Syndrome child, who is also the person to thank for Holly
Days, a similar event at the Beverly Arts Center
in Chicago
My kids had a great time playing
at the museum, as they always do.
Healthy snacks were set up in the party room. There were vendors set up throughout the
second floor. I’d like to make mention
of a few…
I Am Who I Am. This 501(c)(3) charity gives baby blankets,
encouragement and support to newly born special children and their
families. An excerpt from the flyer I
received:
“…Can you imagine hearing the
words, ‘sorry’ after your child was born? Can you imagine the lack of eye
contact, the cold room and the feeling of doom?
I endured those moments. I am
here to erase those words from every delivery room. Nathaniel did and does not deserve an ‘I’m
sorry’. He and the entire special
community should be congratulated each and every day.”
One of the authors (Marianne
Walsh) of “Epic Mom: Failing Every Day a Little Bit More than You” was there
signing copies of the book. The book is a series of anecdotes any parent can
relate to, not just those of us in the special community. This book is available on www.amazon.com or to email for more
information epicmombook@gmail.com.
Literature from Giant Steps in
Lisle, Illinois
Last but not least – a lovely
young lady who happens to have Down’s had a table set up to sell jewelry she
had made and was also making jewelry on the spot. Her name is Kelly Neville. Her work is beautiful. I bought one of her bracelets. Her website is www.specialsparkle.com and she does
special orders as well as home parties.
It was a fun evening and a great
event. Holly Simon, thanks for the
inspiration! J
