I am so overwhelmed by all the words of encouragement and support that was sent to me since my first blog post! It means so much to my family to see how loved Asher is, even by strangers he has never met. With that said , I want to take this time to really explain what Down Syndrome means for Asher.
He unfortunately is prone to have certain health issues. Asher was born with a small hole in his heart, but the cardiologist is hopeful it will grow back on its own. He has already had tubes put in his ears for fluid at just 6 month old and we are working on getting his left ear to pass the hearing test. He takes two prescriptions everyday and has a special formula for his severe reflux. We are also in the process of patching both of his eyes, although we know he will end up in glasses and possibly need eye surgery . I still can’t believe this is all before his first birthday. With all of that being said , at just 10 months old, Asher already has a Physical Therapist , Occupational Therapist, Down Syndrome Specialist, Cardiologist, GI, ENT, and an Ophthalmologist. As he gets older he will likely have to see more specialist. With all of his therapies, doctor visits, prescriptions, and surgeries, comes a lot of out of pocket cost. You see, being born with Down Syndrome qualifies Asher for assistance such as Katie Beckett insurance(a form of Medicaid ), but the state has made it impossible for anyone to be approved. That leaves us paying for everything our private insurance won’t cover.. And boy has it already added up.
We have designed a t-shirt for the 2016 Buddy Walk hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta this October. We are selling the shirts to raise money for the DSAA and to help assist with Asher’s medical expenses. The shirts are $20 and we are ordering sizes adult small-2XL,youth small-large, and toddler 2T-4T. We will be donating 10% of all proceeds to the DSAA. The DSAA is a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to providing individuals with Down Syndrome and their families life-long community connections.
We are also looking for a company(ies) interested in sponsoring his shirt. Your companies logo will be put on the shirt for everyone to see at the buddy walk! If you are interested in either sponsoring the shirt, buying a shirt , or just donating to the DSAA and Asher you may do so by emailing me at meagnash@gmail.com or Click Here.
We plan to raise awareness and help advocate for individuals with Down Syndrome and their families. I encourage you to learn more about T21 and feel free to ask me any questions— And please, consider what you can do to make a more accepting and inclusive community for individuals of ALL abilities— I wouldn’t change Asher for the world but I am determined to help him change it for the better!
