Today is another mini episode and Mary talks about the Run Up For Down Syndrome and her cookie fundraising for the event.  She also talks about the Adaptive Dance that Ainsley has been going to since September and some of the ongoing challenges with that and her lack of participation.  And of course, there’s talk about cookies!  DSRF.org

Mary chats with Melissa Hart about her recently released book “Daisy Woodworm Changes the World”, and about growing up with a younger brother who has Down syndrome.  Melissa is a strong advocate for highlighting people with Down syndrome in various media and believes that people with Down syndrome add so much to families and friendships. And find out what happens when her brother Mark meets movie star Sandra Bullock! You can find her books at MelissaHart.com. 

This episode has some audio issues and we apologize that we can’t fix them.

This is a mini-episode of Mary sharing what’s been on her mind.  She talks about Challenger baseball, Mother’s Day, some behaviour issues Ainsley is having at school, and trying to have some success gardening (Dennis is unsure of her success!).

Mary talks with Brady Murray of ROD’s Heroes-an organization that is dedicated to helping children in orphanages that have Down syndrome and other disabilities, find their forever homes.  Hear what happens when Brady decides to do an Ironman and allowed to let miracles happen!  ROD’s is an incredible organization that believes all children deserve a loving, forever home and to have the chance to sing the song they are meant to sing.  Find out how you can become an Unstoppable Advocate, and perhaps you might find it in your heart to adopt one of ROD’s Heroes.  To find out more check out their Instagram at RodsHeroes and at RODS.org

Mary chats with Darcy Day on how she learned that her 18 year old son Brady, who has Down syndrome, was able to communicate through spelling! It is a fascinating and heart warming conversation about always assuming competence on our kids. Darcy is on a mission to help people with Apraxia find their voice through spelling to communicate (S2C).  To find out more or to contact Darcy, go to Brand New Day. 
Click here to learn more about Spellers – The Movie

Mary chats with Cristin Condon who is a life coach, meditation teacher and a Marie Kondo professional organizer.  Cristin is a single mom with three kids including her son with Down syndrome and understands how important self-care is for parents of children with disabilities. Cristin has created a plan that helps parents deal with burnout and how we can enjoy our life again without sacrificing our child’s needs. There are eight areas that Cristin focuses on for self-care for special needs parents, and they are all very doable and achievable.  To find out more about Cristin and the types of programs she offers, visit CristinCondon.com

Mary talks with Rose Reif, a Licensed Clincical Mental Health Counsellor, about a topic we don’t hear about too often-grief. Rose provides insight and tips on how to handle and manage the grief of our child’s diagnosis. Rose talks about several things around grief-including that your grief does not mean you don’t love your child and why it can be important to schedule time to be sad and so much more.  To learn more about Rose, visit RoseReif.com
We apologize for Mary’s mic problems at the beginning of the interview. It couldn’t be fixed “in post”.

Mary has an eye-opening conversation with author Meeka Caldwell about her “My Friend Anian” book series. When Meeka couldn’t find any books about Down syndrome and a black family, she decided to write her own.  It’s an open conversation about race, Down syndrome and having representation.  Find Meeka’s books at BrownBaby321.com or any online retailer.

Mary talks about what’s ahead in Series 5.

Mary has a fascinating discussion with Dr. Vaish Sarathy about functional nutrition.

Functional Nutrition Website

Dr. Sarathy’s Functional Nutrition Podcast