My Story - At least the last 7 1/2 years

On April 26, 2002, my son Reece was born with Down Syndrome. My wife and I had no idea. We were crushed. We were terrified of the unknown future. I remember the hour-long drive home from Northside Hospital in Atlanta...the silence was deafening. We really had no direction. But I took action immediately.

I got online and learned as much as I could about Down Syndrome. We found the Gwinnett County Down Syndrome Support Group. I remember when we went to the first event 3 weeks after Reece was born. My wife didn't want to get out of the car. The grief on the parents' faces...looking into the faces of the possible future of our son, the future seemed so random. The diagnosis seemed to have no certainty. That fact presented both hope and fear. Thank God...we latched onto hope.

About a year or so later, the hospital called to tell us that they were starting a program to provide support to parents of new-born children with Down Syndrome. They wanted my wife and I to lead the charge. They wanted to name it "Reece's Rainbow". We were thrilled.

We would get called into the hospital when a new family brought a new child with DS into the world. With their permission, we would visit and consult with the parents, providing them information and hope. One family in particular did not want to keep their child. My wife helped find a family...Reece's Rainbow as about to go into a whole new direction (www.reecesrainbow.com).

Reece's Rainbow now helps children with DS around the world who are currently in orphanages and institutions find adoptive families here in the US. Since 2006, Reece's Rainbow has found families for more than 200 children in more than 35 countries around the world. There are so many loving families in this country giving these kids the chance to feel love and to have a life. Just go to the homecomings page if you are in the mood for a good cry.

To any families who are considering the adoption of a child with Down Syndrome, you have our prayers and support. We'd love to hear from you. We'd like to pray for you and help you if we can. Just stay tuned to this blog or visit www.reecesrainbow.com to stay in the loop.