Toby Thompson
From a story we did on a Siloam Springs man who ran the Boston Marathon:
What do you think about detours?
In December 1995 my wife and I were driving down a road we had been on before. We knew
the road pretty well by now– six amazing trips that had culminated with cries of joy and six new
journeys. These journeys had made us the proud parents of three bouncy boys and three giggly girls.
And now we were once again taking this remarkable trek, but this time… there was a detour.
Jonathon David was born to us just after Christmas – there was great joy that night. But the
next day, I walked into my wife’s hospital room and saw tears in her eyes. Something was wrong. The doctor told us that this little baby boy was born with Down Syndrome, my mind went numb, and my emotions exploded. This boy would never be normal – but then, who is?
Those first days were some of the toughest days of my life. The problem was not with
Jonathon, it was with me – with my expectations and perceptions of what is truly valuable in life. I now smile as I write that Jonathon’s life has changed me and my family. He smiles and laughs more than anyone I know, he loves life and every night when I come home, he runs out and hugs me and then runs around the house yelling, "Daddy’s home!" This little boy loves me.
This detour turned into an extraordinarily beautiful turn in our lives, filling us with a new perspective on the panorama of life. We want to continue to travel on this "detour" and to support other families who may be experiencing some of those first emotions and misperceptions. My wife is currently the president of the Down Syndrome Connection of
Northwest Arkansas. This is a group that helps bring practical hope and
help to families in this tri-state region by providing a support network,
resources and assistance with the specific needs that a child with Down
syndrome might need. In addition to assisting families, Down Syndrome
Connection also endeavors to raise awareness and help educate health
care providers as well as the general public.
You can help us with the d-tour!
As a result of our experience and our heart for these special individuals, we have decided as a
family to bike across America in May 2007 in order to raise national awareness about Down
Syndrome, to network with other Down Syndrome groups, to give hope and help to individuals we meet along the way, and to raise funds for Down Syndrome Connection. We will leave from our home in Northwest Arkansas and bike to the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville, Florida.
If you are interested in assisting us in the d-tour, we would love your help! We have
logistical needs as well as physical needs (gear, equipment, supplies, transportation, housing, etc) for the actual trip across America. We are looking for individual and corporate sponsors (or contacts for corporate sponsors), who would support us financially or possibly with some of the physical needs for the trip. Gifts are tax deductible and can be made out to Down Syndrome Connection – specify that the gift is for the d-tour.
You can also donate online. See our website at www.d-tour.net or go to the Down Syndrome
Connection website at www.dscnwa.org and hit the link for the d-tour.
If you have any questions, feel free to call: 479-549-1084.
Thanks for your help – and come join us on the d-tour,
Toby Thompson (Jon’s Dad)
Down Syndrome Connection
of Northwest Arkansas
www.dscnwa.org
18626 King Rd.
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
479-549-1084
What do you think about detours?
In December 1995 my wife and I were driving down a road we had been on before. We knew
the road pretty well by now– six amazing trips that had culminated with cries of joy and six new
journeys. These journeys had made us the proud parents of three bouncy boys and three giggly girls.
And now we were once again taking this remarkable trek, but this time… there was a detour.
Jonathon David was born to us just after Christmas – there was great joy that night. But the
next day, I walked into my wife’s hospital room and saw tears in her eyes. Something was wrong. The doctor told us that this little baby boy was born with Down Syndrome, my mind went numb, and my emotions exploded. This boy would never be normal – but then, who is?
Those first days were some of the toughest days of my life. The problem was not with
Jonathon, it was with me – with my expectations and perceptions of what is truly valuable in life. I now smile as I write that Jonathon’s life has changed me and my family. He smiles and laughs more than anyone I know, he loves life and every night when I come home, he runs out and hugs me and then runs around the house yelling, "Daddy’s home!" This little boy loves me.
This detour turned into an extraordinarily beautiful turn in our lives, filling us with a new perspective on the panorama of life. We want to continue to travel on this "detour" and to support other families who may be experiencing some of those first emotions and misperceptions. My wife is currently the president of the Down Syndrome Connection of
Northwest Arkansas. This is a group that helps bring practical hope and
help to families in this tri-state region by providing a support network,
resources and assistance with the specific needs that a child with Down
syndrome might need. In addition to assisting families, Down Syndrome
Connection also endeavors to raise awareness and help educate health
care providers as well as the general public.
You can help us with the d-tour!
As a result of our experience and our heart for these special individuals, we have decided as a
family to bike across America in May 2007 in order to raise national awareness about Down
Syndrome, to network with other Down Syndrome groups, to give hope and help to individuals we meet along the way, and to raise funds for Down Syndrome Connection. We will leave from our home in Northwest Arkansas and bike to the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville, Florida.
If you are interested in assisting us in the d-tour, we would love your help! We have
logistical needs as well as physical needs (gear, equipment, supplies, transportation, housing, etc) for the actual trip across America. We are looking for individual and corporate sponsors (or contacts for corporate sponsors), who would support us financially or possibly with some of the physical needs for the trip. Gifts are tax deductible and can be made out to Down Syndrome Connection – specify that the gift is for the d-tour.
You can also donate online. See our website at www.d-tour.net or go to the Down Syndrome
Connection website at www.dscnwa.org and hit the link for the d-tour.
If you have any questions, feel free to call: 479-549-1084.
Thanks for your help – and come join us on the d-tour,
Toby Thompson (Jon’s Dad)
Down Syndrome Connection
of Northwest Arkansas
www.dscnwa.org
18626 King Rd.
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
479-549-1084
posted by Mark Lericos at 5:48 PM
<< Home