Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children With Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives

I bought this book to read to see how the parents coped with the diagnosis of down syndrome. As a parent myself of a down syndrome child I was very interested in reading it. My daughter was a gift from God.She gave me so much and taught me so much. Unfortunately she passed away in Jan.2012 at the age of 41. She had a heart defect that couldn't be repaired in the 1970's. I was truly blessed to have had her, and I miss her every minute of every day.

Such a wonderful book. I read this book after finding out our next baby will have Down syndrome and it was been the most calming thing for my soul. I would recommend it to anyone facing a diagnosis and any family members as well!

I only read a few stories as this was a gift for my aunty and uncle that are having a their first baby with an extra chromosome. The stories were very touching and beautiful and I think that all parents of children with Down syndrome would appreciate this book

Absolutely phenomenal and beautifully written, inspirational book of essays from mothers with children who happened to be born with Down Syndrome... Many stories included the parents' "shock" after learning of the diagnosis but every story demonstrates the consistent acceptance and love of their beautiful children regardless of the diagnosis. I have identical twins with DS and this book was a bastion of hope amidst many amazingly dismal books about the down-side and "typical" delays my boys would face instead of and the very happy and high-quality life that is possible. Every parent of a child born with Down Syndrome should receive a copy of this book upon the birth of their special child.

This is an incredibly wonderful collection of personal stories, from families, about their feelings when they were given the diagnosis of Down syndrome. It talks about their vulnerability, tears, fears, grief, and loving acceptance. The stories are remarkably similar in spirit (and similar to my own experiences), yet vastly different in true-life execution. How we react, grieve, and deal with the curve ball of Down syndrome is explored and the reader will laugh, cry, and everything in between; but the outcome is always fantastic. It is a throughly enjoyable and compelling read.

I am a new(ish) mother of a beautiful little 11 month old baby girl who has down syndrome. I have never been able to finish a book on ds as I always found them upsetting and depressing but this book was quite simply THE most beautiful & moving book on the subject I have ever read. As the other reviewers said, I could only read a few stories at a time with a big box of tissues beside me as I inevitably ended up crying, but they were tears of empathy and joy and I felt so lucky & proud to have my little princess sleeping in the next room that a few times I almost went in to cuddle her while she was asleep just from reading about the other very special little children. This is an amazing book, I wish I had had it in those first few terrible, bleak, dark months of trying to adjust to her diagnosis. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Heartfelt and great stories. Very helpful to new parents of DS.

This book has some very positive and reassuring stories from all sorts of moms with all sorts of kids. The stories focus on the wonders and joys of these womens' situations and is such a breath of fresh air compared to some books out there that only focus on how hard it is having a baby with DS.

I got this book after getting a job looking after a child with Downs. Its written for new mums of Downs babies, as an antidote to counteract all the depressingly negative feedback from doctors immediately after the birth of your baby, who is so perfect and beautiful...and has an extra chromosome. The book is full of honest accounts of how different mothers coped with the birth and raising of their Downs child. There is a whole spectrum of different reactions to having a "different" baby, so the reader can always have someone to identify with - from shock, grief and rejection to peaceful acceptance at birth, to a universal process of learning to unconditionally love their child, who does everything other children do, only taking the scenic route. Their children teach them to live in the moment, appreciate the little things and celebrate each little achievement but also the process, not justvthe end result. Most of all, these mums speak of how precious their chikdren become to them and how they enhance the whole family and sibling relationships. The whole tone of the book is about celebrating uniqueness and it is an essential gift for any new mum of a baby with Downs. Why don't they call it "Ups"?

this book is a gift in its own right. helped me so much in such difficult times, and will hold onto it so i can refer to it during trying times. A must have for parents of children with down syndrome.

Very well written and very informative book

Great book! I can relate and connect with many of the stories.

日本では三省堂刊 ようこそダウン症の赤ちゃん の構成に近いです。さまざまな家族の、さまざまなダウン症の子供の話を2〜3ページ読みきりで書かれているので、興味深く読み進められます。タイトル「Gifts」に集約される子供への愛情があふれた内容で、勇気づけられますよ！ ようこそダウン症の赤ちゃん