🟢 "YOUR CHILD IS A PERSON FIRST, NOT A MEDICAL CONDITION." In this first of two episodes, Jodi is brutally honest about the challenges she faced...
coming to terms with her daughter’s diagnosis of Down's syndrome ("Trisomy 21": 3 copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual 2, thought to occur in 1 in 800 infants);
dealing with seemingly endless stream of negative information shortly after birth
and lack of positive information how children with Down's can live happy, increasingly healthy long lives.
You'll also hear about
how Jodi came to accept and embrace her daughter's differences and strengths;
her skepticism of "performative kindness and charity" that can mask the absence of real, meaningful action;
and - facing the reality of social exclusion - how she has come to advocate for what she calls "radical inclusion".
Perhaps the biggest takeaway of this episode is her belief that for parents, the single thing that matters most is to see your child as a person first, not a medical condition.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN: https://www.chromodiversityclinic.com/episodes/episode/1ab4593d/how-to-parent-a-child-with-downs-featuring-author-jodi-samuels-12
ABOUT JODI
Jodi Samuels is an author, speaker, serial entrepreneur, world traveler, disability advocate, super mom and wife living in Jerusalem. She challenges mindsets and brings her passion for life to her work as a not-for-profit leader, community activist, disability advocate and entrepreneur. Her message is simple: Go be unstoppable.
Jodi’s highly regarded memoir is called Chutzpah, Wisdom and Wine: Journey of an Unstoppable Woman. She is currently working on a new book dedicated to concrete, practical advise for parents with children who have disabilities. Learn more on www.jodisvoice.com and https://twitter.com/cailysworld.