Dedicated to Parents of Children with Downs Syndrome

Important Update!

Due to unforseen family circumstances, Pam has not been working for the last few months, so anyone who has been trying to get in touch, she will be back in the new year. The club that we hold in Widnes has been running successfully for the past 6 months but is closed for now. We are planning on restarting the club in 2012 as we know the benefits it brings.

The team behind the Down Syndrome Support Group are still here and the website is still accessible. On a positive note, we are constantly developing the website and are in the midst of developing a mobile phone app giving access to the services available accross the country. If there is anybody out there who wishes to promote their clubs, groups or services on the app, please send your details to us, .

Thank You,
The Down Syndrome Support Group Team

When a baby is born and appears quite 'normal', we parents are not given a detailed catalogue of information about the risks of what might go wrong in the future. We are not told about the chances that a heart condition, hearing problem, visual defect and so on might appear. We are not given lists of statistics about the risk of delinquency, drug abuse or success at school; we go home and dream our dreams for a happy future. If we were given such a list, we would need to learn to live with the information and control our imaginings of what might happen.

But if you have a baby born with a condition like Down syndrome, which is recognizable from birth or shortly after, then many facts and figures are available. Much of this information is about possible medical and developmental problems and about how they can be helped but the majority of children with Down syndrome do not have many of these problems.

My daughter has Down Syndrome and I have spent many a night crying myself to sleep wondering what the future holds, but I can quite categorically state, I wouldn't change her, Katy is a joy to have and I and all my family are proud to have her.

Can Anyone Help?

We received an email this week and are looking for ideas on similar projects or schemes in the UK:

"Please can you help!

I was a paediatric physio in the Thames valley for 30+ years before I retired and worked a lot with Downs Syndrome children.

I now have a four month old grandson in Christchurch New Zealand and a three month old cousin with Downs Syndrone in Gloucester .

I have been out to New Zealand to help with George and his older sister Holly in her school holidays. Whilest in Christchurch I visited the Champions Centre where George is being Treated ( please see their web site). It is a Rolls Royce service. He's very lucky.

The lady who stared the centre Patricia Champion sayes they made a DVD for Portsmouth Downs that they are trying to track down and I would love a copy for my cousin in the UK, as mum and baby are receiving the usual patchy physio and waiting list for speech therapy, that is the NHS ( I've work there, as soon as money is tight, this is the services that are squeezed).

Hope that you can help me with this.
Best wishes Elaine Curtis MCSP".

If anyone can help, please get in touch, .

Funded By Angel Web Design

The Down Syndrome Support Group is funded mainly by our sister company Angel Web Design. Angel design professional websites, including this one, at cost effective prices and are experts in the fields of web design and development. 50% of Angel's profits are donated to the Down Syndome Support Group to help keep our online and community based support to continue to help people all over the World.

If you would like to help the Down Syndrome Support Group and have a website designed by experienced professional and caring web designers, view their site: www.angelwebdesign.co.uk

Down Syndrome Support Group Summer Ball 2011!

This years May bank holiday holds the Down Syndrome Support Group´s first annual Summer Ball at the beautiful Bridge Suite at Stobart Stadium, Widnes. So if you have ever needed an excuse to buy that beautiful cocktail dress or don the James Bond' tuxedo, why not do it for charity and have a fabulous time in the process?

The Legend - David Park - Drum Solo

Received this email and couldnt resist addidng him to the site:

Hi Pam!

Just thought I'd share a video of one of our Belvoir Special School students.
He has been having private drum lessons for a few years and I filmed him playing on the school drum kit. I composed some music to tie in with his drum improvisation and the results can be seen on YouTube, The Legend David Park His passion and enthusiasm is inspiring.

Full videos section coming soon, if you would like to add your video to the site, get in touch.

Poems - Perfect, author unknown

As my children were born,
I wanted them to be perfect.

When they were babies,
I wanted them to smile and be content playing with their toys.
I wanted them to be happy and to laugh continually
instead of crying and being demanding.
I wanted them to see the beautiful side of life.

As they grew older,
I wanted them to be giving instead of selfish.
I wanted them to skip the terrible twos.
I wanted them to stay innocent forever.

As they became teen-agers,
I wanted them to be obedient and not rebellious, mannerly and not mouthy.
I wanted them to be full of love, gentle and kind-hearted.
"Oh, God, give me a child like this" was often my prayer.
One day He did. Some call him handicapped... I call him Perfect!!

Full poem section coming soon.

Your Stories, Poems and Videos

Please send your story or poem to you can make a difference to a new parent. I just want to tell everybody how wonderful life is with our children, they change your whole perspective on life and fill every day with a little sunshine.