You hear the words. They sound like platitudes – “He is a special neshama”, “You were chosen”, “Your family will grow from it”, “Hashem only gives tests to those who can handle it”. They are true. Yet…

With the passing of Moishey’s paternal grandmother a’h, he now has no living grandparents anymore.
Babi Malka Sander was a queen, as her name alludes. She was regal in her grace and charming in her personality. She loved Moishey with a fierce, grandmotherly pride and never forgot the early days of shock, mourning and grief. But, Babi Sander was a lady and she put her grief aside to become her children’s cheering squad. She encouraged and inquired and delighted in Moishey’s progress and always lent a listening ear and a bellowing laugh to his antics

Twenty-two years ago, after our son Avichi, who has Down syndrome, successfully underwent open-heart surgery, we went to a conference for professionals and parents of special needs individuals. There we learnt of a set of twins with congenital abnormalities who grew up together. They had a running family journal and when both twins died at age 18, their mother read their journal and knew in her heart that having each other helped her sons with their illnes

Dear Sarah,
I read ‘Passed Over’ in Issue #16, where you write about your younger daughter ‘skipping Moishey’ and getting married. I do not understand why you need Moshiach in order to marry off your son who has Down syndrome. Did the Chief Rabbi of Tzfat miss something when he married off my children?

“If someone would have said to me eleven years ago ‘one day you will look back and smile at what happened’, I would have told them to have their mind checked!’”
With these words Rabbi Moshe Kuessous a’h opened up his speech to parents of special needs children. With total honesty he admitted, “Before they were born I’d think I’d be embarrassed. But now, wherever I take them I stand tall and proud! My head is held high. I feel very proud to be their father!”

An important part of a child’s development is learning to listen. We depend on this lifelong skill to gain new information. It is a key component for following directions and answering questions while participating in daily experiences and routines. It also plays a big role in keeping our children safe and healthy. Here are some “listening” pointers to help your child optimize his skills.

Since the skin tends to reflect other conditions of the body, it’s not surprising that children and adults with DS have more than their share of skin problems. This article will address those skin conditions and disorders that are more common in people with DS than the general population.

Zeidy Gluck z’l, my father, was the epitome of a ‘zeesa’, erlicha, beloved, person. He was unassuming in his ways, but his impact was deep. He was as humble as Har Sinai, but his greatness towered above Everest. His middos were impeccable and his G-d – fearing ways were testimony to his sterling character.

Gentlemen, you are about to enter the pre-season of the big leagues. It is a period in one’s life called, “Grief.” Some of you have experienced it before, and for others, this is the first time. It is a part of life, and for some reason you were selected.

It wasn’t much of a surprise. His older brother had gotten over his chicken pox the week before. Everyone else in the house has had it. The inevitable happened. It started out slow, and we were hoping for a mild case. Hope may spring eternal, but the only thing springing around here were pox – lots and lots and lots of chicken pox, all over his cute little body.