Hospital and Congratulations Basket Program
Congratulations on your new bundle of Joy! You have a lot to celebrate!
Often when a child is born with Down syndrome, the diagnosis is delivered in a sad, somber way leaving the family feeling anxious and scared about what the future holds. The National Association for Down Syndrome (NADS) strives to change the experience so that the diagnosis is filled with a more accurate and hopeful long-term perspective.
The Congratulations Basket program is so important to set the right tone of celebration with families. These baskets are delivered to the families and they are paired with a NADS trained mentor. These mentors will congratulate, celebrate, provide emotional support, give direction on resources and help the families understand that there is no reason to limit the possibilities of their child. The basket is full of items that are appropriate for any new baby and provides connections and referrals for service to help them navigate their Down syndrome journey.
The NADS hospital speaker program strives to educate a variety of health care professionals that are points of contact with families during their pregnancy journey. The hospital program educates the doctors on how to deliver the news: how do they tell the parents in a positive and supportive way? Who should be present? How do they provide families with hope? The NADS program provides current information about Down syndrome and gives the medical personnel a vision of what it is like for families to raise a child with Down syndrome. When a baby with Down syndrome is born, the hospital staff refers the family to NADS so they can receive their Congratulations Basket.
It is a gift for the families to know their child is valued and they will have more blessings than challenges along the way!
Number of Hospitals
Prenatal Packs in 2023
Congratulations Baskets in 2023
“We had a prenatal diagnosis for Grace at 11 weeks. Our friends and families shared phone numbers and email addresses of other parents with a child with Down syndrome to reach out to. However, at first, we were too afraid to do so. We read, learned, and cried on our own for months with no idea about the world we were about to enter. When I was 35 weeks pregnant, I met a PT at Hinsdale Hospital who knew Melissa (basket volunteer) and told her to text me. We chatted over text, she congratulated and encouraged me, and she told me about the basket program.
Grace arrived the following week, at 36 weeks, and I texted Melissa the news. She immediately rearranged her family’s schedule to come meet us with the basket and coffee! Melissa held Grace, told us how beautiful she was, and even taught us how to swaddle. We celebrated Grace’s healthy heart and the fact that she did not spend time in the NICU. After she explained the basket items, we sat and talked for a long time, about nothing in particular, but we felt like we were hanging out with an old friend. She made us feel like we were a part of the DS community and inspired us to become more involved. We could not have asked for a more heartfelt, authentic welcome to the DS world and we are so glad to be part of it.”
“We received a basket shortly after Laney was born, delivered by Melody! It was so nice to meet a “real” person – not just be connected on social media – with something in common. The basket was filled with great goodies (one toy giraffe in particular became Laney’s favorite for months and helped her with tummy time because she wanted to look at it eye-to-eye!) but even more important, Melody seemed so cool, calm, and collected. Like, Down syndrome is no big deal, you’ll be okay, we’re in this together. Meant so much!”
Amina Grace Memorial Fund
333 Busse Hwy., #817
Park Ridge, IL 60068-3251