A Message from the Executive Director

Dear MDSC Member,

First, let me wish you a happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month! As he has every year since taking office, Governor Patrick signed the official proclamation last month "urging all the citizens of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance."

Since 1997, at this time of year, friends and families of people with Down syndrome have gathered in Wakefield, Massachusetts to meet, re-connect, laugh and share in our collective understanding of the challenges, but more importantly the joys, of having loved ones with Down syndrome in our lives.

Sixteen years ago, we welcomed a handful of families to our early Buddy Walks. Now, this coming Sunday, we are expecting thousands of people to join us for our annual celebration. We hope that you will be there!

From the beginning, our Buddy Walk & Family Picnic has always been a major celebration. It is also our biggest fundraiser of the year, which means it's a lot of work for everyone who puts together teams, makes signs, and gets up early Sunday morning to drive - sometimes great distances - to Lake Quannapowitt.

That's why it is critical that we remember and continue to remind ourselves of the very specific reasons that so many of you have put in this extra effort to support this special event.

The Difference Your Support Made

Why do you do it? Because you want to enable us to develop new and exciting initiatives that will make a profound difference in the lives of people with Down syndrome and their families. Here are just a few of the ways that you helped us make an impact this past year....

Your support helped us launch a Medical & Scientific Advisory Council to foster connections between researchers and scientists that may lead to an even brighter future for people with Down syndrome and their families around the country or even the world.

Your support helped us establish a Self-Advocate Advisory Council to give voice to people with Down syndrome 21 years old and older who are interested in developing leadership and self-advocacy skills.

Your support allowed us to build an all-new mdsc.org that gives our members and the general public alike an eye-catching website with a wealth of in-depth information.

Your support helped us land media placements about Down syndrome in major news outlets, putting topics that advance our core mission - promoting the acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome - in the public eye

TIME Magazine published a four-page spread about the new prenatal Down syndrome tests that prominently featured the MDSC, our Parents First Call Program, our members and Board member Dr. Brian Skotko. That was followed shortly by a program on the same subject on CBS This Morning.
Boston's TV News Magazine show Chronicle aired a 30-minute program about life today with Down syndrome that again highlighted the ground-breaking work of the MDSC. Madeleine Will, Vice President for Public Policy at the National Down Syndrome Society, commented that she hasn't "seen anything like this before.... a nuanced campaign of info about Down syndrome that both rebuts stereotypes and establishes a vision of a new reality about people with Down syndrome."
The MDSC headlined the Red Sox's Disability Awareness Night. On-field MDSC representatives were introduced during the pre-game, our Public Service Announcement aired on the Big Screen, and to top it all off, member CJ Buckley was honored with throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.

Your support helped make Advocacy and Policy central to what the MDSC does to ensure equality and justice for people with Down syndrome.

The MDSC passed its first piece of legislation, the Prenatal Down Syndrome Testing Bill, with help from deeply committed legislators like Rep. Sannicandro (who will be at the walk Sunday).
On the national policy front, we have been incredibly effective, lobbying our state delegation persistently that now all 12 senators and representatives have given their support to the ABLE Act, an essential piece of legislation that will give people with disabilities more control over their funds and their lives.

Signature Programs and Future Plans

All this, and to say nothing about of some of our longstanding programs, like Advocates in Motion and our Parents First Call program, both of which are national models that are being emulated around the country as I write, and our affiliate programs, Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome (DADS) and the Down Syndrome-Autism Connection, which have continued to provide invaluable resources and social activities.

This is what your steadfast support has allowed just in the past year. Now, as we look to the future, we are counting on your continued support for these and many other exciting and forward-thinking initiatives that we have in the works. This includes:

Our newest partnership with The Arc of Massachusetts on "Operation House Call," a unique program that teaches disability awareness to medical students throughout the Commonwealth.
Our upcoming "Northeast Down Syndrome Education Conference," an event like none other ever held in this area. It is being put on in collaboration with world-renowned education experts Down Syndrome Education International.
A comprehensive membership assessment in the next year to collect input about how the MDSC can best serve you and how we can grow smartly.
New support program for families who have children with complex medical needs.
Social networking opportunities for adults with Down syndrome.
A new comprehensive public awareness campaign to educate the general public.
And our ongoing legislative work...We still need to pass the ABLE Act and the "Real Lives" Bill and implement the Prenatal Testing Bill!

A Final Thought

Finally, as I reflect on the last year, I think about our dear friend Dr. Allen Crocker, who we lost last October. At the time of his passing, we at the MDSC pledged to continue his lifelong mission of promoting the acceptance and inclusion of all people, including those with Down syndrome.

In the last year, I believe we have lived up to that legacy. I am extremely proud of the MDSC's accomplishments to that end, but I understand, as Dr. Crocker did, that the credit is not due to any one individual or organization. Whether our past success or our future advances, they are societal in scope and they are due to the collective power of all of you.

There is perhaps no greater testament to that power than our annual Buddy Walk & Family Picnic. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Sincerely,

Maureen Gallagher, Executive Director

P.S. -- It's not too late to register. Online registration ends tomorrow night at midnight. Walk-ins on the day of event will be welcome.