Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children With Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives

This commemorative 10th anniversary edition of Gifts includes 10 new personal stories, along with where are they now updates on many of the children and families featured in the first edition. Gifts is the much-loved collection of over sixty essays written by mothers who share their truths about raising children with Down syndrome. Powerful then and powerful now, it affirms over and over that a life with an extra chromosome is one worth living.

The contributors to this collection have diverse personalities and perspectives, and draw from a wide spectrum of ethnicity, world views, and religious beliefs. Some are parenting within a traditional family structure; some are not. Some never considered terminating their pregnancy; some struggled with the decision. Some were calm at the time of diagnosis; some were traumatized. Some write about their pregnancy and the early months after giving birth; some reflect on years of experience with their child.

The writers' diverse experiences point to a common truth: the life of a child with Down syndrome is something to celebrate. These women have a message to share--not just with other mothers but with genetic counselors, obstetricians, and the rest of us. In particular, Gifts, 10th Anniversary Edition, provides new parents with a source of up-to-date, positive, and realistic insight that is too often missing when they are facing a pre- or postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.