The world today has changed so much since my sister was born in 1968. Down Syndrome actually had a different name and people didn’t talk about it much. At the same time, people often didn’t know before birth that their child might have it.
As I said in another post, I can’t really say too much about life with my sister. I didn’t live at home with her. But I can say with certainty, she was just one of the family. Mom, dad and the rest of the family just loved on her and treated her the same. Love was the key and all of us would say the same thing.
Celebrity Jamie Fox talks about his sister DeOndra Dixon with Down Syndrome in the same way. He even added that she was the star in his family.
DeOndra’s family just treated her like one of the family and let her be herself. They did not limit what she could do. With such a loving family behind her, she has made a name for herself and is changing Down syndrome awareness. Not only has she appeared with her famous brother on the Grammys and in videos, but she has received the Global Down Syndrome Foundation Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award.
Watch this video clip to see how Jamie Fox and his family view DeOndra and what she has accomplished.
You can just feel the love her family has for her and how proud they are of all her accomplishments. This family accepted the diagnosis, but did not limit her. I loved what her father said about “God giving special kids to special parents.”
DeOndra Dixon has already achieved remarkable things. She was the ambassador for Global Down Syndrome Foundation. The President/CEO Michelle Sie Whitten and DeOndra appeared on Hallmark’s Home and family recently. This foundation is raising money to do more research because Down syndrome actually happens to be one of the least funded genetic disorder. She stated that there are over 400,000 Down syndrome people in the United States. She wanted to raise the awareness of how important it is for research to be done to study the disease spectrum for Down Syndrome. This will help improve the quality of their life and their families as well as increasing longevity. One disease that affects this community is Alzheimer’s. This research could prove beneficial to any family facing that diagnosis.
Take a look at this video which was on Hallmark’s Home and Family January 12, 2018 show here.
I can’t say enough about how important it is to get more research done and this research can help many populations besides Down syndrome.
I loved what her father said about
“God giving special kids to special parents.”
My character Tina was raised by a very devoted young mother. Despite being abandoned by her mother and husband, this young mother chose life for her child. It wasn’t easy being a single mom, but she gave her all of her love. Her faith in God helped her to raise a beautiful daughter. Tina did the same things as other kids and had an impact on all those she met. Her voice brought joy and blessing to others.
Like my character, DeOndra is one of those special people who brings happiness and inspiration to all she comes in contact with. She has accomplished so much. She also loves to sing and dance. I actually did not know much about DeOndra until she was featured on a TV show recently and then I did some research. I was glad I did.
The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is a great organization to give your support to and in doing so you are helping families to improve the quality of life for their children.
But most importantly, love and acceptance for all children will make a difference in society today.
In my future blog posts I will be introducing you to other incredible stories that will touch your heart.♥
Until next time,
Linda Buice 