First of all, go to college online by visiting the TED talks. Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world. Their words. All sorts of topics, all types of people, all walks of life, all corners of the globe. Ideas worth spreading, they call the concept. Hell yes. And when you see Aimee Mullins you better bet they’re worth spreading. She actually pushed me that bit further when I saw this vid, into the Am I actually a bit envious category. Watch, and listen for the ‘That’s not fair’ bit. I love this.
Thanks to my very good friend Karen Ardiff for bringing this to my attention. š
And one more thing! If by chance you are in the Leinster region, are free this Saturday 21st, and can help with some focus group research to help newbie Ds parents, then Down Syndrome Centre could do with your help. Get in touch with Sheila.
On Saturday 21st November Down Syndrome Centre, with the generous support of Price Waterhouse Coopers, will be organising a focus group to establish recommendations/guidelines that parents of children with Down syndrome will make to support new parents with their child’s development in their first year. This will take place in PWC’s new offices on Spencer Dock in the IFSC from 9.30am to 1.00pm.
We hope this information will form a ‘roadmap’ of sorts which will greatly assist new parents in knowing what they should be doing/feeling etc in the first months of their new baby’s life.
Our Jacob 
Those wooden legs she has are absolutely beautiful. What an interesting video. Thanks!
cheers nick brilliant piece !
cheers nick brilliant piece ! must pass it on. what an inspiration.
Loved this. Thanks for sharing š
Ps where is the handsome Jacob???
Great video Nick.
By the way, that focus group tomorrow (the 21st) has been cancelled…. According to Shelia it will hopefully be running in January. I’m already signed up š
Cool.
It is incredibly liberating when the standard no longer applies to you.
The “that’s not fair” bit is exactly what I was thinking… right before she said it! Me, a “small” person, could just imagine changing my height every morning, just to see how others would react… I change my style of cloths, my hair, why not my height?
So rightly said, things are changing, attitudes are changing. And yet, there is so much work to do…
And I too am asking: “where is the handsome Jacob???”
wow!
what a neat message, and talk about a paradigm shift to thinking!
thanks for sharing this š
Thanks for the comments, all. All that, and she’s a stunner too. Some people get all the luck. š
Next post will feature lots of Jacob update, promise!
Hi, years ago during my studies I found this wonderful poem about a child born with a Down syndrome. Just want to share it with you. Iwona
http://puisipoesy.blogspot.com/2006/03/almond-tree.html
Thanks ever so much for commenting and linking to the poem, Iwona. It’s an incredibly sad one, and I hope it has had its time in many ways, although much of it will always be true. I didn’t know it or Jon Stallworthy, the poet, but it has a great hope at the end and that, more than anything, is what makes it for me. And of course the title is superb. Thank you again.