“In November 2004, we were blessed with a beautiful baby boy who happened to have Down syndrome.  Although we were shocked, scared and unsure of what the future might hold for Anthony, we embraced this precious gift and started learning everything we could about this diagnosis.  We joined our local Down Syndrome Guild in Dallas and met the most wonderful families who helped to guide us in those early days.  It is here that we learned how important our connection with other families touched by Down syndrome would be. 
 
When we found out we would be moving to CT with a new job, we searched online and found 21 Strong.  We attended our first event, the summer picnic, even before we had actually moved here.  It was so great to see all of the welcoming faces and start making these connections right away.  I must have emailed the group a million times asking about doctors, schools, therapist, etc.  – and everyone was such a great source of information and advice.
 
I like the sense of camaraderie among the parents and kids in this group.  We can all be ourselves – tell it like it is – and there is no judgement!  We have really made such great friends and I love how bonded our kids are becoming.  It has been so great to have a group that celebrates our kiddos and supports us as parents.”

~Amy