yoongz

October 21, 2012

Down Syndrome Awareness Month…

It is Down Syndrome Awareness Month in the US… and you may have heard of Buddy Walks and other events linked with this campaign to build awareness of the wonderful and unique individuals who have that extra chromosome…

Here’s a link to the NDSS website with links to some of these events – NDSS, DS Awareness Month October.

i don’t have first-hand experiences with Down Syndrome and have had only very limited interactions with people with Down Syndrome. i remember a little girl who is my cousin a few times removed (she is my 3rd Uncle’s wife’s niece or something like that – i was little and don’t remember exactly). Even though i only saw her a couple of times and had limited interaction with her and i was little, she left a great impression on me. The one thing which stood out for me was her smile and how warm and sincere it was and how her eyes light up with every smile.

i have always tried my best to treat every person with respect, young, old, able or disable. i hope i have been able to do so and have not unknowingly hurt anyone, especially someone with a disability such as Down Syndrome. i hope too that i have been an example to my son.

Read what this mum has to say about teaching children about disability.
There is also a dad with a child with Down Syndrome who is doing a Wall of Awesomeness. Check it out.
Hear also from people who have Down Syndrome; this video “Ten Things People with Down Syndrome Would Like You to Know” is made by the Down Syndrome New South Wales Australia.

My favourite line from that video is:

All those with Down Syndrome have feelings, thoughts, interests, hopes and know what they want from life. Most, with support, lead interesting, independent and fulfilling adult lives.

i believe all of us need support to lead fulfilling lives; we all need a little more help every now and then. So why not give a little extra support to those who may need it a little more?

Do you know someone with Down Syndrome or has a child with Down Syndrome? Have you shied away from offering your friendship and help?

Don’t worry about it. Step up and let them know that you are there and can be counted on to support them in some small way. Most would be glad to have that support.

You can also choose to step up that little extra for orphans with Down Syndrome (as well as other disabilities)… Reece’s Rainbow is one such organisation which helps these orphans who have less chances of finding a family because of their disability. Reece’s Rainbow focuses on orphans in Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, where they are likely to be lacking in facilities and opportunities.

Right now, Reece’s Rainbow has a chance to get more funding for these orphans. They have chosen 10 orphans to get a US$5000 boost in their adoption grant (which helps their forever families reach them faster) if Reece’s Rainbow gets enough votes to win 1st place in the Cultivate Wines US$50,000 grant. You can help by voting daily! Click here for details or click here to vote directly. Thanks so much.

Happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month!

syc

October 17, 2012

Two’s A Company…

… that’s the way the saying goes… and there is definitely truth in that, especially when you have a sibling whom you love and who loves you right back.

Today i would like to introduce you to a pair of siblings; sisters who are in need of a loving family to care for them, to love them, to give them the opportunities that would enable them to get the best out of life.

Meet Karen and Chrystyna.

chrystynafeb2009-1 — 10-year old Chrystyna needs a family…

Karen is already 16 years old, she has no special needs and is a developmentally normal teen whose profile says she is smart and has no negative behavioural issues. Chrystyna is her younger sister who has FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) and developmental delays. She has been fortunate enough to be transferred to a place where they do care about her and teach her.

Karen has to be adopted together with her sister Chrystyna because of her age. They both have so much potential but they need a family to provide them with a truly loving environment, a family who would help them meet life’s challenges. Are you that family? If you are looking to add a sibling pair to your family, please do consider Karen and Chrystyna.

If you are not called to adopt (not everyone is), there are other ways you can help. You can share their story so their forever family might find them sooner.

International adoption is an expensive thing to pursue. You can help by helping Chrystyna‘s adoption grant to grow so that a lack of funds would not stop these sisters from having a family to call their own.

You can also pray for both Karen and Chrystyna; for their daily needs and most of all, for a family to come for them.

Thank you.

syc

October 14, 2012

Autumn Holiday Week 01…

So we have been on Autumn holidays – it’s 3 weeks of holidays 😉 i just thought i recap some highlights of Week 01.

We had a couple of restful days at home to start with. Then we went to Basel to meet a friend and to watch the latest kids’ movie, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. We loved it!

i was expecting more of the same running away stuff and the same used jokes but this one had heart… the previous 2 had heart too but this one just did so much more in taking the audience along on the journey and much more emotional investment without loss of any of the most funny moments on-screen.

i thought the cinema would at least be a little filled up, it being the holidays but here we are again, all alone in the cinema (we were later joined by a mum and her 2 kids who sat behind us):

Camera 360 — Once again, the lone figure in a sea of red.

See here for the other empty cinema moment.

Oh, before we went for the movie, we met our friend and her little gal for a Sushi lunch; Tobias’ favourite all-time food! He broke his record and had 8 whole plates of Sushi all by himself! My Sushi Monster 😉

Then we enjoyed more home time and got started on our Christmas presents for grandparents. i’m not going to say what we are making as we would like to keep it a surprise 😉

On Saturday last week, we went to the Suisse Toy Fair in Bern. i think i mentioned it a couple of times before but never got round to posting about it. This year we all felt that the fair seemed a little smaller or maybe it was because this year was held in a few larger halls instead of the usual various smaller halls all over the BEA Expo.

Tobias enjoyed some time on a mini ATV (you have to pay for these rides, they are like amusement rides):

We saw the ProJuvenTute get their Guinness World Record for the largest 3D Lego model to be build. They had lots of people over the period of the toy fair come and build different 3D models out of Lego and fixed them all onto a huge Lego map of Switzerland. It was quite cool.

Of course the thing that one does at a Toy Fair is to try out the toys!

The highlight for Tobias was getting a photo with his favourite Skylander Character, Gill Grant:

The highlight for me was Creaktiv, the section with all the handicraft materials and stuff. i got stuck at the one stall for so long that husband and son came to find me after finishing at the remote-control section 😉

If you like toys or have kids, the Toy Fair is a great way to spend the day. Do take note, food and drinks are more expensive so if you are planning on staying longer than 4 hours (which i recommend), then remember to pack food and drinks, especially for the little ones.

There are quite a few rest areas (Ruhe Zone) with a whole bunch of Fat Boys (large bean bags) where people can just relax or wait for their family members or mothers can feed their babies.

That was Week 01. Will post about Week 02 soon.

syc