Penny in Her Own Words: Down Syndrome, School, and Friends
My name is Penny and I have an extra chromosome because I have Down syndrome. In my daily life I wake up independently, make breakfast, and go to school. My…
My name is Penny and I have an extra chromosome because I have Down syndrome. In my daily life I wake up independently, make breakfast, and go to school. My…
I remember this time, back when Penny was really little, when we were at a birthday party together and another mom was there with her child who also had a…
In honor of Down syndrome awareness month, I wanted to name a few things that I appreciate about our daughter Penny. One, that Penny moves through the world with less…
I dream of a world where everyone belongs. Last weekend, Penny was a bridesmaid in her old-babysitter-best-friend-for-life’s wedding, and I got a little glimpse of the joy of belonging. (Go…
What’s wrong with having Down syndrome? It was a question I asked many years ago, when our daughter Penny was first diagnosed with an extra copy of the 21st chromosome.…
"Why would it be a bad thing for five times more people with Down syndrome to be in the world?" asked my 13-year-old son William, whose older sister Penny has…
What is a meaningful life? Does thinking about disability change your answer? Heather Lanier, author of Raising a Rare Girl, talks with Amy Julia about her daughter’s diagnosis and subsequent…
One of the things you’re supposed to do when you write a book is master your elevator pitch. How can you convey the essence of this story in the time…
I look back on these words I wrote about Penny so many years ago in A Good and Perfect Gift, and I think, Yes. That’s it. I was no longer…
Is disability abnormal? After Penny was born, we were told she had a genetic abnormality because she had an extra copy of her 21st chromosome. The doctors implied that “abnormal”…