Underwriting support from:
Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan - WHY I WALK Series - Part #4
A Precious Princess - By Susan Blanchard
My name is Susan Blanchard, and I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Jana, on June 10, 2008. We found out at birth that she had Down syndrome. It was a shock at first, but then that shock was replaced with an abundance of love. I knew nothing about Down syndrome prior to Jana's birth, but I received a New & Expectant Parent Packet from the DSAWM while we were in the hospital. I quickly signed up and began to receive their newsletters.
In August, our family saw something for the Buddy Walk and thought it was a perfect way to raise money for an Association that helped us out so much in the beginning. I quickly added a fundraising page to the website and, thanks to wonderful family and friends, we had over 50 people agree to participate on our team! We had buttons made with Jana's picture and a banner inscribed with our team name, Princess Jana’s Court, and an important scripture for us, Jeremiah 29:11. In the end, we raised $5000!
The outcome of the Buddy Walk was such a blessing to our family and friends. They learned what a true blessing having a child with Down syndrome can be. It gave us hope. It made us feel like we were part of a special group of people. Thank you for letting us be a part of it. Everyone left the Walk that day saying they could not wait to do it again next year.
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