Thank you for visiting the Walk with Me fundraising page.  Your $25 donation purchases and delivers a Walk with Me book to a family just learning about a child's diagnosis of Down syndrome or other developmental disability.

 Walk With Me is a a 72-page collection of uplifting stories written by children and adults who have brothers and sisters with Down syndrome. This new book was developed and edited by Kristin Lanari of Appleton, WI in honor of her relationship with her sister Lauren. 

The book includes thirty-one (31) stories that describe the joys and challenges of having a sibling with a disability.  It is intended to:

• Acknowledge and recognize the importance of the sibling relationship through the lifetime of persons with Down syndrome and other disabilities.
• Help parents of children with disabilities understand and value the sibling relationship.
• Help newly diagnosed families understand what to expect.
• Help educate medical and human services professionals about life with a sibling with Down syndrome.
• Help educate public officials about the importance of funding programs and services that enhance the quality of life.
• Enable the authors to help others by sharing their experiences.

For example, Kelley Catenacci of Appleton writes in the book that life with her sister Kendra “has taught me so much and has completely changed my outlook on life.  I have learned not to take things for granted and to always work to the best of my ability.  But most importantly, I have learned that being different is something to be celebrated.  It is something to take pride in.  It is something that makes my sister the wonderful person she is today.”

Lanari herself summarizes her relationship in this way: “My sister Lauren has affected my entire family in so many positive ways.  Yes, she has Down syndrome, but she is so much more than a label.  She is a wonderful person who reminds us to take a step back and evaluate what's truly important in our lives.  I wanted this book to showcase the profound impact that a sibling with a disability has on a person's life.  Education is the first step towards acceptance, and I hope Walk With Me will help educate others on how precious our siblings truly are.”

Harriet Redman, Executive Director of the Fox Valley Sibling Support Network, praises the work as an important tool in celebrating sibling relationships:  “Kristin has taken a simple idea – siblings sharing stories from their hearts – and turned it into a poignant view of both the joys and challenges of life with brothers and sisters of differing abilities.  The Fox Valley Sibling Support Network is excited about helping promote this work as a contribution to advancing understanding of the impact of siblings.”

You can purchase  Walk With Me online starting April 4 at stores.lulu.com/lanarinet for $18.90, plus shipping and handling. 

A grant from the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities is being used to distribute 200 books to a limited number of hospital nurseries, doctor’s offices, and agencies serving families with children who have special needs. (See more information below.)

Your donation to this page will help extend this free distribution of books to new parents, siblings and expectant mothers who are learning they may have a child with developmental disabilities.

This book is being sold at cost to make it as affordable as possible.  Donated copies are distributed through the Fox Valley Sibling Support Network (FVSSN).  For more information about donating books, requesting a donated copy, or local sibling programs, please visit the FVSSN website at http://www.fvssn.org/.

 A $25 donation will purchase one book.  Books are distributed to new parents and siblings through hospitals, genetic counselors, and other agencies supporting families early in learning of  diagnosis of Down syndrome or other disabilitiy.  If you prefer to pay by check, send donation to FVSSN, 506 E Parkway, Appleton, WI  54911. 

This book is made possible by a grant from the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (WBPDD), which was formerly known as the Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities (WCDD).  More information about the WBPDD is available at http://www.wi-bpdd.org/. 

All photography donated by Lanari Photography. 

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!