The Down Syndrome Diary
By Hayley Newman (UK, blogger, mum of 2, author, speaker, inclusion ambassador at Downs Side Up, linktr.ee/downssideup )
rejoice at finally feeling safe without a Covid sword hanging over, but also a reason to struggle to embrace that new life without her husband, who missed the opportunity of the Covid vaccine by just two months. Maryanne celebrated her fiftieth birthday on 17 May. One she had big plans for with Tommy. She says what helps is that Tommy visits her in her dreams, and when that happens, she always wakes up with a smile on her face. Their extra 21st chromosome may have set them apart from the mainstream population, yet their love, Tommy’s passing, and Maryanne’s grief are no different from anyone else’s. And just like anyone else who has experienced the loss of a loved one due to Covid, life just has to go on for Maryanne, somehow… Rest in Peace, Tommy.
You can follow Maryanne on facebook.com/maryanneandtom
Eight years ago, new mum Jamie Freeman, from Detroit, sent a beautiful leather-bound journal out into the world, to connect with other families with a loved one with Down syndrome. Little did she know that the diary would eventually be turned into a book filled with all the stories collected on its travels: The Down Syndrome Diary.
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ike a message in a bottle, sent out on the crest of a wave to places unknown, new mum Jamie Freeman, from Detroit, understood that the beautiful leatherbound Down Syndrome Diary she had etched her innermost feelings into was now at the mercy of the tides. Or, more accurately, the families who were to become its temporary custodians and the international postal services who carried it between them. What was clear, though, was just how much it meant to each and every person who held it in their hands and how seriously they took marking its fresh pages with words that would make a difference to others.
makingchromosomescount.co.uk
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