The Down Syndrome Assn. of the Phils. Inc. (DSAPI) is one of God’s precious gifts to the human race, particularly the Filipino household. Thank God for Tony Pasia and the other brave founders who were passionate enough to start this organization last Feb. 6,1992. Truly, they are God’s angels sent from heaven.
Words cannot fully capture how grateful I am for DSAPI. When I was at a loss and clueless how I was going to cope with having a child with Down Syndrome, DSAPI was my guiding light. It brought me out from the darkest and lowest pit of my life and carried me to freedom, joy, and happiness.
Thank God for DSAPI’s lifelong program for a child with Down Syndrome. I no longer have to wonder whether I was on the right track or not because I simply had to follow the corresponding programs and medical tasks at every stage of my daughter’s life. Everything was already planned in detail. I only needed to attend the seminars, the medical and dental consultations, the various social and nurturing activities—learn from them and put them into action.
If I did not find the time to attend the Early Intervention Program when my daughter was still a baby, I wouldn’t have believed that Eia could still make a difference and leave her mark in this world. Meeting Trish and Sam back then gave me the much-needed hope. Hope that my child could still talk, think on her own, do things by herself, and go to school. I wouldn’t have dared to set goals for Eia.
My daughter Eia was barely 5 years old when she dreamed of performing on stage and she did it starting at 8. She worked hard to be better by practicing everyday and in the course of her journey she was able to perform in schools, malls, hotels, function halls including Music Museum. People get teary-eyed when they see her sing with the Charismatic Choir during the Saturday Anticipated Mass and during the Healing Mass every 1st Saturday at Our Lady of Fatima Parish. At 18, she fulfilled her ultimate dream of having a Debut Concert at Dazo Hall, Philamlife Village.
I couldn’t imagine myself raising Eia without the support of DSAPI. DSAPI was, and still is, my life-saver. That is why whenever there’s an opportunity for me to raise funds for DSAPI, I do so. The donations I raise could never commensurate to what DSAPI has given me. DSAPI gave me back my life when I was about to give up, brought light to my path and guided me every step of the way so I won’t get lost.
Happy 30th Anniversary DSAPI! Wishing you many, many more years of helping families live life to the fullest with their children with Down Syndrome.
God bless us all!
(I apologize for my 2-month absence. Thanks for still dropping by my blog, inspite of my shortcoming. I cannot promise to write regularly but will always include you in my prayers, my dear readers. Stay safe everyone!)
