Our President and Founder (Rick Smith) will be speaking on a panel at a conference being held at the United Nations in NYC on World Down Syndrome Day (3/21.) During his talk, A Little Bit of Hope Can Go a Long Way – Bringing Hope and Support to Couples Receiving Pre-natal Diagnosis of Down Syndrome, Rick will share how Hope Story is working to connect every OB-GYN in America to a family raising a child with Down syndrome so they, in turn, can connect their patients whose child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, to them.
We call this the Hope Advocate process, and we think it has the ability to change the world. You can can get an idea of the impact a Hope Advocate can have by watching this short video.
The other speakers on the panel include:
- “Making a Case for Down Syndrome” Karen Gaffney, President, Karen Gaffney Foundation
- “Investing in Tomorrow for Persons with Down Syndrome”
Michelle Sie Whitten, President & CEO, Global Down Syndrome Foundation - “I Won’t Let My Daughter with Down Syndrome Be Defined by A “List”
Deanna Smith, Author Motherhood Unexpected
You’re Invited to Join Us!
No matter where you live you are invited to join us for this special World Down Syndrome Day Event at 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM (EST) on March 21.
There are two ways for you to join us:
- In Person – If you are able to be in New York City on March 21st, we invite you to join us in person. You must RSVP at this link no later than March 15 in order to receive a name badge that allows you entrance to the conference. If you live in the the NYC area (or know someone who does) we would be honored for you to attend in person.
- Online – The conference will be streamed online for free. To view the live stream you’ll need to visit this link on March 21st a few minutes before 3 pm (EST). Click on “Live Now” and scroll to find the title of the event (Social Protections for Women, Girls and All Those with Down Syndrome.) Approximately six hours after the event you will be able to watch the conference on demand by searching by date and title on the “Recent Video On Demand” section toward the bottom of this page.
We are honored to be a part of this special event and hope you will join us either in person, or online. If you know anyone interested in bringing hope to families whose child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, would you please forward this blog post to them and encourage them to watch online or attend in person?
We hope that one day every parent whose child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome will have the opportunity to connect with another parent a little further along in the journey of raising a child with Down syndrome. We think these relationships have the ability to bring hope and encouragement to the family whose child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, and a little bit of hope can go a long way.
If you’re the parent of a child with Down syndrome, would you consider using your family’s story to bring hope to others as a Hope Advocate? You can find more information by clicking here.