Dear Friends and Family,


Many of you have had the good fortune of spending some time with our daughter, Lauren. And those of you know that she brings her joy, charisma, spunk and love along with her, everywhere she goes. If you’ve never met Lauren, you should. It just might change how you view things.

Lauren is our daughter. She likes to dance. She loves to brush her mother’s hair (and her father’s, grandma’s,…). She is a big sister to Sam and a little sister to Avery. She’s a picky eater and a drama queen. She runs, loves school and playing mommy to her baby doll. Lauren loves to cuddle. And even at 3, Lauren is empathetic and a caretaker at heart.

Lauren also has Down syndrome (Ds). But that doesn’t define her. She hasn’t, and she won’t, let that happen. Her mom and I won’t let it either. She isn’t a “Downs kid”. Lauren is a cool little girl who just happens to have Down syndrome. Some might say she has special needs. And I would say that’s a fair assertion. Now I have a few assertions of my own Your mom has special needs. My wife has special needs. My other two kids have special needs. So do I. And so do you. But they don’t define us. At least they don’t have to. Every individual has their own set of circumstances that creates or presents challenges and struggles that are uniquely theirs. But if someone’s special needs are not met to at least some degree, it is nearly impossible for that person to reach their full potential.

I mentioned that Down syndrome doesn’t define Lauren. If anything, Lauren is redefining Down syndrome.

When Lauren was born, her diagnosis of Ds was a complete surprise. We had no idea what it truly meant, what our expectations should be or where to start. Then a nurse dropped off a binder stuffed full of information. She told us that it was provided by the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan, for the hospital to give to all new parents of children born with Ds. We never knew how near and dear to our hearts the organization would become back then.

The Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan (DSAWM) provides individuals with Ds, their parents, families, health care providers and educators with the resources, services and support for them all to play a role in redefining DS.

Now participating for our fourth year, our family will be walking at Step Up for Down Syndrome (formerly known as the Buddy Walk) this Saturday, October 8, at Millennium Park. In our first three years we raised a combined total of nearly $9000. We are hoping to really significantly add to that this year. But we can’t do it without everyone’s support. Would you mind considering making a donation? If so, you can do so securely from the link on this page. It will give you a chance to show your support of the DSAWM and the good work it’s doing in our community. But even if you’re unable to make a donation at this time, we are eternally grateful that you took the time to read a little more about something important to our family. At the very least, it helps to create a heightened public awareness of the Down syndrome community.

In the West Michigan area there are all sorts of smaller communities of individuals with a common thread to their “special needs” or those of a loved one – they can’t do without the support from people who aren’t part of smaller community. You can do it with your voice, actions, or by being more deliberate when choosing to give a gift of money. I believe we all have the responsibility to do whatever we to can to meet the “special needs” of these smaller communities. But to answer this call, one must decide how and where they can make the biggest difference. It may or may not be by making a donation to our team for our walk on Saturday. I just hope everyone is either already carrying a torch or is taking steps to figure out which torch to carry. If we all do, I have no doubt we would begin a continual improvement of the quality of life for the community as a whole.

But that type of change is not going to happen overnight or by itself. Don’t wait too long to make a difference where your heart lies, wherever that may be.

We would be honored and grateful if you chose to give a gift today. It’s easy to do through a secure link on this webpage. Keep in mind that no gift amount is too small. Every little bit makes a difference. For example, if everyone who reads this contributes $5, the aggregate donation would be enough to underwrite one-on-one, in-home consultations with RN specialists for 15 new parents of babies born with Down syndrome. Or it would be enough to underwrite the cost of a professional advocate that would assist parents through the maze of bureaucracy a parent of a child with Down syndrome must walk through to ensure their child receives all of the available resources and support of the public education system – things their child desperately needs, and is guaranteed. Assistance programs like these provided by the DSAWM have a lasting impact that will translate to a lifetime of greater potential and possibility. Want to know more? Just ask. We would love to share with you.

Thanks again for giving your time to read this.

Onward!

Brad, Andrea, Avery, Lauren & Sam Hecksel
 

 

For some recent pictures of our family, check out this link.