Cute and Confident!
The DSAWM staff sat down a few weeks ago to interview our new Self Advocate Intern Eric Willinger. Tell us about yourself, Eric. I’m so cute! Haha, and confident! Yes! I am from Grand Rapids and live with my mom and dad. I have three brothers and one sister and am an uncle to my […]
A Great Place to Work
by Freddy Cook My Name is Freddy Cook and I work for Special Olympics Michigan Area 11 at the new Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports and Inclusion Center. I go to work twice a week and have a checklist of jobs that I need to accomplish every week. The new Inclusion Center is very big. […]
Never Give Up
by CJ VanSkiver “Never give up,” is something I say to myself all the time. It means that the only way you can fail is if you stop trying. I learned that in Special Olympics. I love sports but as I got older, it got harder for me to find teams to play with and […]
Connecting Communities
Earlier this month, the leadership of the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan Foundation (DSAWMF) announced the Connecting Communities campaign, an $850,000 fundraising effort to move their headquarters to the new Special Olympics facility in Byron Center, expand staff and programming services, and build sustainability through an enhanced endowment fund. DSAWMF was established in 2012 […]
Pandemic Perspective
by Kate Cole In just a few short days, my life was changed by COVID-19. Many of my routine activities were stopped and shut down. It felt like my life went upside down. When COVID-19 started in March 2020, I moved from my apartment back into my parents’ house. We made this decision to keep […]
Two Punches on the Disability Punch Card
by Amy Wigger Your son is autistic. I let out a sigh of relief, at the same time feeling like someone had knocked the wind out of me with so few words again. Three years before, almost to the day, another medical professional looked me in the eye and said five words, your son has […]
Staff Spotlight: Jennifer DeVault
2020 was a crazy year full of disappointments, but also MAGIC! We have moved the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan into a very exciting space with other likeminded organizations, navigated a pandemic, started virtual programs and events, and kicked off an exciting campaign to benefit DSAWM and the DSAWM Foundation. I am also very […]
My Story of Grief and Transformation
Lara Kitts A couple of years ago I began a journey of getting to know my soul and healing a lot of wounds. In that process, I realized that we, as parents of kids with special needs, carry chronic grief that other parents can’t relate to. I have a husband and 3 daughters, ages 19, […]
Endless Possibilities Await
2020 presented Down syndrome affiliates across the world with many challenges to overcome, and the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan (DSAWM) was no exception. Our organization serves 350 families across 12 counties in West Michigan. In addition to support services and advocacy, we also operate over 20 programs for members from birth to adulthood. […]
We Have to Make the Best of This
Molly VandeWater Like all of us, DSAWM Intern and Self-Advocate Molly has been greatly impacted by the covid-19 pandemic. Molly is social butterfly. If she’s not filming videos or being interviewed by the local news for DSAWM, you will find her performing around town with the Living Light Dance Company, hosting a sleepover for her […]
The Soon-To-Be Newlyweds
by Cody & Lisa Cody: We met 4 years ago at Noah’s Landing in Florida, a special needs housing community. We knew we liked each other because of the same likes, the connection we had, and the same passions. We both love Josh Grobin, music, Disney, family, love, dancing, singing, and art. I knew I […]
Welcome to the Board
Chloe Bayer My name is Chloe Bayer and I work as a Benefits and Information and Referral Specialist at Disability Advocates of Kent County and have worked for various other nonprofit organizations that serve people with disabilities in the Kent County area for the last 20 years. I am married and have three boys ages […]
My Sister Jeanie
by Toni Masullo When I was about seven years old, my Aunt Jeanie moved into my home after my grandparents could no longer care for her on their own due to multiple health problems. Being so young, I couldn’t quite understand why Jeanie looked a little different, or why she wasn’t living on her own. […]
Best Birthday Ever!
by Molly VandeWater DSAWM intern and self-advocate Molly celebrated her 32nd birthday on July 21st. From blueberry picking with her CLS worker to enjoying a Frozen 2-themed cake with friends, Molly’s birthday was a fun-filled day! I started my birthday by going out with my aid [Molly’s CLS worker] Jess. We did some blueberry picking, […]
Elvis and the 21st Chromosome
by Erin Doyle Toburen Elvis arrived in blue suede shoes, aviators, and a jumpsuit shortly before the end of my freshman year of college. Already the parents of four children – ages 10 through 18 – the thought of an infant was a decade removed from my parents’ mind when they found themselves unexpectedly expecting. […]
Living His Dream
by Liam Doyle Elvis may have left the building, but Liam is keeping the King’s legend alive with heart and style. At just 16 years old, Liam has already traveled the country performing as a bona fide Elvis Tribute Artist, or ETA. He may have a big pair of blue suede shoes to fill, but […]
A Letter from the President
by Brad Rivard I’ve become fond of the phrase “Frustration and anxiety live in the space between reality and expectation”. For Rachael and I, we really started to feel that when we got Amelia’s diagnosis of Mosaic Down syndrome when she was 15 months old. We were, and still are, the typical parents who, to […]
Summer Camp Fun
by Maria Leestma Artists Creating Together Camp People from ACT got ready for summer at art camp at Meijer Gardens. They brought yarn, wire, watercolor paint, paint brushes, rocks, crayons, glue, and balloons. The students were signed up and came Monday through Wednesday to learn about cultures and structures. Monday, we rode on the tram […]
Celebrating an Extra Chromosome
by Ruth Lee Dear Fellow Travelers My road to Independence is currently under construction. The work can be messy, noisy, irritating, and inconvenient. Ride with me. Expect speed bumps, pot holes, abrupt lane changes, unexpected curves, sudden stops. Ride with me. Construction could take days…years… a lifetime…The work may never end… Ride with me. I’m […]
God Answered My Prayers in a Coffee Shop
Lori Tepastte, Grand Rapids On February 9, 2016, I sat in the waiting room with my husband and our immediate family at a local hospital waiting for the arrival of my third grandchild. My daughter and son-in-law hadn’t found out the gender of the baby, so we were anxiously awaiting to hear the big news. […]
