Nancy Gianni, of GiGi's playhouse began her talk at the DSDN Mom retreat this past Saturday with a story of her oldest child. One night as a baby her husband brought in their little boy, this little inconsolable baby to her. He was still crying as she took and held him, but then as she laid her hand on his cheek he nestled in and calmed down. Nancy went on to explain the power of the hand; the power of a mother’s touch. Throughout her talk we saw evidence of the power of what our hands can do as we learned the how and why behind the creation of GiGis Playhouse.
Rachel
Coleman of Signing Time was our keynote speaker on Friday night. She
demonstrated the power of signing, when it came to her family and their story. Life
has a way of taking us into uncharted territory but her hands have been an
instrumental part of her family’s story. Not only were her hands a big part of
opening the world up for her girls, but her hands have turned their story into the Signing Time episodes and videos, which has been powerful to so many
families. The power of our hands.
It makes me reflect on the DSDN logo, the hand. All of this, the retreat which brought in 300 moms to Chicago this past weekend, the 4000 families involved in the Facebook groups, and the more than 400 new families DSDN has helped in 2017 alone. All because Heather Bradley and Jen Jacob decided to connect and help moms, and continues to work to change the diagnosis delivery. The power of the hand.
I
have said countless times that DSDN was a game changer for me. While in
desperation to connect, to find common ground with someone, anyone, I posted in
a NICU Facebook group one day. I posted about how lonely the journey was with
having a 2lb baby, and then add in a diagnosis of Down syndrome. A mother
reached out to me to tell me about DSDN and something called Rockin’ Mom groups.
She got me in contact with Jen. From that moment I knew I wasn't alone, and it
has made all the difference. A saying the Rockin’ Moms like to use is, "You’ve
got this, and we’ve got you." I
witnessed this and watched this happen in my own personal story.
Amanda and Jen Jacob |
Jen
not only has united us in these groups called the Rockin' Moms, but has
also inspired many of us to put our own hands to work. Whether it be our own
nonprofits, advocating in our community, volunteering, or being the best
parents we can be. It is safe to say this lady has encouraged me and shown me
it is possible to take an idea and turn it into reality. She has helped and
answered questions as I worked to get Mighty Miracles Foundation going. So what
I leave this 2017 retreat with along with memories made with 300 of my closest
Rockin’ friends, is
inspiration and encouragement from these women who have all shown the power of a mother's touch; the power of the hands.
"And
then one day I thought it slipped away
And
I looked to my hands to hold on.
And
then one day all my fear slipped away
And
my hands did so much more."
–Rachel
Coleman, The Good
"I’ll slow down when the miracles slow
down." –Nancy Gianni
"It is in your hands to create a better
world for all who live in it." –Nelson Mandela
"The final forming of a person’s character
lies in their own hands." –Anne Frank
Yes yes Yes!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to add one other Hands reference that is a "go to" for me - "Hands" https://youtu.be/1rGlqV79xFA
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