I've got this and DSDN has me. Please consider donating to this cause that is so near and dear to my heart.

I am fundraising to support DSDN and their mission to provide information, connections and support to new and expectant parents of children with Down syndrome, like us.

Before Sienna was born, I was excited to experience the infant stage again. I was going to enjoy the ride, because I wouldn't be as worried. I wasn't a first time mom anymore. But like everything with Sienna, what I expected to happen and what actually happened were two very different scenarios.

I'll never forget how helpless I felt when I got home from the hospital with her. I had announced Sienna's birth and her diagnosis on Facebook days after she was born. While on the outside it appeared that I was handling everything with smiles and blessed hashtags, the truth is I was terrified. The congratulatory posts littered the thread. "Congratulations. She's beautiful." "God chooses special parents for special babies." Did people really think I could do this? No one knew what I was facing. There was no friend to text with the questions I had. My friends didn't know how to advise me or what to say. My Mom tried to support me as much as she could, but this was my journey. I felt alone.

What I soon discovered was that I wasn't alone. The Facebook post announcing Sienna's birth and diagnosis put the wheels in motion that would connect me to the Down syndrome community. I was soon connected to a local Pittsburgh mom that had a young child with Down syndrome. With that first connection, Pandora's box opened before my eyes. Before I knew it, I was handed the tools I needed to break free of my isolation.

Within hours of making that first contact, support and understanding found me on Facebook in the form of the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network or DSDN for short. Their mission statement is simple. You've got this and we've got you. As I was welcomed into my birth group, I was immediately connected to hundreds of mothers from around the country. As I scrolled down the group's private page, I realized that the connection I was seeking was right in front of me. This was my new tribe.

Just a small donation will go a long way to helping me meet my goal for Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network (DSDN).

DSDN mission is to connect, inform and support new families at the time of diagnosis and to impact the diagnosis conversation so that every family receives accurate, up to date information along with the diagnosis.

DSDN offers families:

• Private, moderated Birth club groups for families from Pregnancy through age 3
• Topical Subgroups for families to more deeply connect around content that matters most to them (cancer diagnosis, IEPs, single parenting, loss, Spanish speaking, etc)
• Materials to provide to medical professional, local organizations and new families http://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/local-support
• Rockin' Family Fund programming to support families with:
  • Welcome gifts
  • Care gift cards
  • Memorial gifts
  • Scholarships for Ds related events
• Our annual DSDN Rockin' Mom Retreat to connect, inspire and recharge moms within our network

As of 2017, DSDN has a board of 8, more than 100 volunteers, over 20 birth club groups, 25+ subgroups and have reached to over 4000 members worldwide!

You may also mail your donations to:

Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network

PO Box 140

Stillwater, MN 55082

Make sure you include my name on the donation, so it will count towards my fundraising goal!

Contributions to Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.