Archive for December, 2015

Colorado Gives Day, the Sie Center Draws from 27 States and 7 Countries, First National Keystone Symposia Conference on DS, Global Hires Specialist Focused on Adults with DS, Global Dancers Perform in CO Ballet’s Nutcracker and More! 

Thanks to an anonymous donor who is deeply touched by our work, we have a $100K year-end matching grant!

But we only have until midnight on December 31st to meet the match – both exciting and nerve-wracking! We will only receive a match equal to whatever we raise.

ANY amount will make a big difference and be greatly appreciated!

Your gift will be worth twice as much, but actually it will be worth more than we can ever express. Thank you and warm holiday wishes from all of us at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.

In 2015 Global allocated considerable human and financial resources towards creating a multi-year plan to specifically improve the lives of adults with Down syndrome.  One important step was hiring Bryn Gelaro, LSW, a social worker who was mentored by leading experts at The Adult Down Syndrome Center at Lutheran General Hospital just outside of Chicago.

“I am so pleased to be able to continue to mentor Gelaro here at Global.  She is a rare find and truly gifted when it comes to working with our adults,” said Dr. Dennis McGuire, the co-founder of the adult center in Chicago and the co-author of “Mental Wellness of Adults with Down Syndrome” and “The Guide to Good Health for Teens and Adults with Down Syndrome.”

In Chicago Gelaro organized and managed a life-skills class for adults with Down syndrome. “There are a lot of great life-skills classes out there but there is a lack of evidence-based curriculum and tested improvement,” said Gelaro. “That’s what is exciting about working with Global – we can really address important gaps and move quickly towards improving lives.” 

Gelaro will assist with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation Educational Grant Program that currently funds nine post-secondary life-skills programs in eight states.  She will also assist Global with the following projects in 2016:

• Helping to oversee a groundbreaking post-secondary research study
• Assisting with the Global Adult Down Syndrome Task Force
• Helping Dr. McGuire to organize behavioral health goals for Global’s future world-class medical center for adults with Down syndrome

“Adults with Down syndrome face so many barriers to services that could improve their happiness and well-being,” Gelaro said. “Often, our adults are not given voice. But being person-centered in our approach and in developing these programs gives them opportunities and empowers them to live full, meaningful lives.”

Gelaro received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining Global, Gelaro worked at the Adult Down Syndrome Center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Chicago and at The Arc of Centre County in Pennsylvania. At Global, Gelaro acts as primary recruiter for the educational program in Denver.

Your year-end donation funds important Global Down Syndrome Foundation programs that support and empower adults with Down syndrome to live fulfilling lives. Click here to donate today.

The Colorado Ballet recently raised the curtain on its 55th annual production of “The Nutcracker.” For the fourth year in a row, dancers from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Program are part of this beloved holiday tradition.

“We’re excited to have two of our dancers performing once again this year, thanks to our excellent teachers from the Colorado Ballet and Senior Physical Therapist Pat Winders from the Sie Center for Down Syndrome at Children’s Hospital Colorado,” said Allie Winter, Global’s Manager of Health and Wellness Programs. “The teachers motivate our dancers to work hard and reach their potential. The performance allows them to showcase their abilities in front of a passionate audience.”Generations of Colorado families have attended a performance of “The Nutcracker” as part of their holiday celebrations. Each year since 2012, those who have attended select shows have had the pleasure of seeing two or three of Global’s young dancers with Down syndrome show off their talents alongside professional performers and students from the Colorado Ballet Academy.

Spreading the Spirit of the Season

Luke and Staci

This year’s performers, Staci Unrau and Luke Lind, both age 9, participate in Global’s Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Program’s Ballet II class, which has continued to expand to include different levels and opportunities for the students to perform in the official production with the Colorado Ballet. In October, Staci and Luke learned they would have the opportunity to dance in “The Nutcracker.” The dancers are selected by representatives from Global, the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Program instructors and the Colorado Ballet.

Eager to get on stage, Staci and Luke spent nearly two months preparing for their roles as children attending the big holiday party scene. Both dancers will participate in a matinee performance of “The Nutcracker” in early December as a rehearsal for their evening shows.

Staci will dance in the evening performance of “The Nutcracker” on Thursday, Dec. 10, and Luke will do the same on Thursday, Dec. 17. Both performances begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Denver Performing Arts Complex’s Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s health and wellness programs help children with Down syndrome pursue their passions for sports and dance. Please make a gift to support these programs.

For the first time in its 44-year history the Keystone Symposia is holding a national conference on Down syndrome, “Biology of Down Syndrome: Impacts Across the Biomedical Spectrum.”

KEYSTONE SYMPOSIA CONFERENCE

The conference is co-organized by Drs. Victor Tybulewicz of the Francis Crick Institute, Elizabeth Fisher of University College London Institute of Neurology, Jeanne Lawrence of the University of Massachusetts, and Tom Blumenthal of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome at the University of Colorado. The conference will cover all aspects of Down syndrome research from genetics and cell biology as well as provide a forum to promote translation of research toward therapy. Session topics include: DS at the Cellular Level, Gene Regulation in DS, Genetics and Epidemiology of DS, Dysregulation of Cellular Pathways in DS, Cognition and Alzheimer’s Disease in DS, and Therapy – Present and Future.

“Biology of Down Syndrome: Impacts Across the Biomedical Spectrum.”

Register Now!

Extraordinary restaurateur, motivational speaker and Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award recipient Tim Harris is slated to provide the opening address. Harris has garnered much attention from his successes and has appeared on CNN, Oprah, Ellen and The View.

Supporting science is one of Global’s key missions. Global and the Crnic Institute have raised $2.5 million Alzheimer’s disease-Down syndrome research and Crnic Institute grants resulting in 28 labs & 100 scientists working on Down syndrome research.

Support critical research by making a donation today!

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation raises critical funds every year to support the excellent medical care provided at the Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

The Sie Center provides the highest quality of comprehensive care to children with Down syndrome by coordinating medical care, along with therapies including speech, physical and occupational. The Sie Center serves as a resource for families and primary care doctors by providing up-to-date information while also supporting parents who have received a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.

The Sie Center has treated over 1,100 unique patients with Down syndrome. The multi-disciplinary “Dream Team” of experts has more than 80 years of combined experience in caring for children with Down syndrome and developmental disabilities.

In 2015, the Sie Center expanded its staff by hiring an education specialist, psychologist and a speech language pathologist. In 2016, look for new clinics and outreach programs designed to assist even more patients and families.

This important work could not be accomplished without support of donors.
Please consider donating today.