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Saturday, March 19, 2016

A Decade Of Blogging

March 16 marked ten years of blogging ... 10! (insert fireworks, confetti, and poppers)

How did that go by so fast?

When I started blogging Kayla wasn't quite 3 yet, we livec in NM, and Lucas wasn't even born.

We've moved twice since then, Joe's also deployed twice and retired from the military, Kayla will be a teenagerthis summer, and Lucas is 8.

A couple of years ago I thought I might be finished blogging, but I'm still hanging around.

When Kayla turned 10 I wrote about my experiences thus far of raising a child with Down syndromeand I still feel the same after blogging for 10 years. No great life lessons from me, no profound knowledge of what life is like for our family through 10 years of blogging. We are, simply, just a family.

I don't feel like I have much to add, at this point in our lives, about Down syndrome. Maybe when Kayla is transitioning to high school ... or out of high school ... there will be a lot of transition topics to blog about. It seems so far away, but I know it will be here before we know it. For now I will keep raising awareness, and acceptance, about Down syndrome.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Monday is World Down Syndrome Day. Not just here in the United States, but in places all over the world people are celebrating individuals with Down syndrome. Can you imagine that? It really wasn't that long ago that babies with Down syndrome were shuttered away in institutions and their life span wasn't even 10 years. Even though it seems we've come so far since then, and in a lot of ways we have, there is still so much more progress to be made. Babies with Down syndrome are still being shuttered away in orphanages and institutions in Eastern Europe.

Even though progress has been made, Down syndrome continues to be the least funded condition by the NIH despite being the most common genetic disorder. Important research is happening by grants provided by other organizations. Research is so important because you don't know what you don't know ... there are connections with Down syndrome and cancer, Down syndrome and autoimmune diseases, Down syndrome and Alzheimer's. Why not research and find out what is going on, what is the connection, how to help people with Down syndrome and the rest of the population?

One of those wonderful organizations focusing on research is the LuMind Research Down Syndrome Foundation. Once again all donations made to LuMind for WDSD will be matched 3:1.Your $25 donation will turn into $100. This 3:1 matching for WDSD starts TODAY, Saturday, Mar 19 and goes through Mar 21. So three days' worth of donations will be tripled.

A few years ago I started donating $1 for every comment on my blogging anniversary post to LuMind for WDSD where my donation will be matched 3:1 and I am doing that this year as well ... so comment away on this post!

I'd also like to put out a little challenge to any readers, on this, my decade anniversary of blogging, I'm hoping that 21 people will consider also donating to LuMind and have your donations matched 3:1. Donate $10 for 10 years of blogging, or $21 for the extra 21st chromosome. Donate in honor of Kayla, or someone else you know with Down syndrome.

As always, thanks for reading and following along on our journey.  post signature

12 comments:

Evana said...

Congrats on blogging for 10 years! Wow!

Anonymous said...

WOW that is such a long time! wish I did it about my LO. Great job

Unknown said...

I can't believe it's been 10 years!! Keep it up. It'll be 20 before you know it!!

LaSandra Brill said...

Thanks for sharing your story and for supporting such a great cause!

Comberspud said...

Thank you for increasing my awareness. 😙

Comberspud said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

Happy WDSD! Happy 10 years blogging.
Check out my page for my lil guy
#RAOK321

Cate said...

10 years!! happy blogiversary!

(I miss blogs. sigh. nostalgia.)

Emma said...

Well done on a 10-year achievement.

Anonymous said...

Happy WDSD Day and congrats on 10 years!

Meg said...

Have enjoyed your blog for most of the 10 years you have been writing. Hard to believe how fast the time has flown. Keep writing and happy blogiversary.

Mom24 said...

I'm so glad you started blogging so I could "meet" you. :)

Congrats!