We Are Beloved: The Mindset Shift That Transformed Our Family
I remember being at a retreat where there were a lot of children present who were around the same age as Penny, our daughter who has Down syndrome. I spent…
My Daughter Does Not Exist to Teach Me a Lesson
Many people, when Penny was first born, talked to me about why it would be good for me to have a child with Down syndrome. They said: Penny would be…
Universal Design Matters to All of Us
The cool thing about universal design is that you don’t even notice it. I’ve been attending Hope Heals Camp at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama for four summers now.1 I’ve heard people say that it…
Supporting Penny’s Goals
I used to be afraid to set goals for our daughter Penny, who has Down syndrome. It felt like if we didn't meet those goals, we would be passing judgment…
What advice would you give someone who is trying to make a plan for their future?
Penny and I did a presentation together at Hope Heals Camp about taking steps to plan for the future. If you want great advice and info from an 18-year-old who…
2023 Photo by Ashley Monogue
Penny in Her Own Words: Why Go to Hope Heals Camp?
After spending eight hours in the Philadelphia airport (a long, boring story), we landed in Birmingham and are now at one of our favorite places—Hope Heals Camp. Before we left…
Online Course Now Available
After our daughter Penny was born and diagnosed with Down syndrome, I felt as though I could no longer imagine our future as a family. The messages I had heard…
The Good Life Belongs to the Ones who are Unimportant and Overlooked
A few years ago, I was seated next to a businessman from New York City at a fundraising dinner. I asked him about his summer plans, and he told me…
Penny in Her Own Words: Camp PALS 2024
Penny, can you explain Camp PALS to people who don’t know anything about it? Who is it for? Yes. Camp PALS is for young adults with Down Syndrome where they…
Creating Belonging Within Families
I wrote a few weeks ago about the difference between exclusion, tolerance, inclusion, and belonging. Generally, when I think about belonging, I’m thinking about institutional spaces. I’m wondering whether our daughter Penny, who…
