Inspiration For A Supervisor of Special Education

Lee, a young teacher of students with special needs, loaned, "Journey With Jeff; Inspiration for Caregivers of People With Special Needs," to the Supervisor of Special Education at school. Lee says, "The woman praised your book as the most caring she has read. She has made it recommended reading." This school district has had Down syndrome children in their classes for the past six years.~~~ This is great, affirming news! A welcome recommendation from a professional in school administration. Thank you, Lee, for passing on her compliment and recommendation! (Photo of Jeff in his school in Dunkirk, NY)

Conversations With Kim - My Cheerleader!

Kim works with adults with special needs at a Rochester agency. I met her at our Lutheran Women's convention in October where she bought a copy of "Journey With Jeff." She has a special place in her heart for people who live with Down syndrome. We had lots to share, and she calls me her "mentor," enthusiastically talking about the book to everyone she can. Howie works at the agency, too, and related how he met Jeff and me at Camp Joy. This photo of Jeff and Howie at Camp Joy made her smile, and comment that "when people with Downs smile, it lights up the whole room!"~~~Kim's thoughts mean even more when she tells me she's a twin, born blind, and with no muscle tone. Her mother worked unbelievably hard and long on her legs, even when the doctors said it was hopeless. The three optical operations she had, and the persistent sessions with her legs resulted in being able to see, and then, for 29 years to hold the job she has now!! Kim is one of my best cheerleaders! She has asked me to send her a dozen copies of the book, and 1/2 dozen CDs of "Journey With Jeff," imagining every person she can possibly tell about the difference Jeff made in God's world! You go, girl!!

Greetings From Gov. Sarah Palin's Office!

My husband waved the envelope postmarked, "Wasilla" around in the air. "You'll never get mail from a governor from out of state like this again!" The welcome note was written by Sarah Palin's dad, Chuck Heath, who says, "Thanks so much for your book for Sarah. As soon as I read "Journey With Jeff" I'll give it to her. I'm helping her out with her mail as she is receiving literally hundreds of pieces weekly." ~~~ I am so pleased to know that "Journey With Jeff: Inspiration for Caregivers of People with Special Needs"has been received into the right hands!! (Sarah Palin's youngest child, Trig, is living with Down syndrome.) Trig's grandfather is a caregiver as well, and I pray he, too, will be able to absorb the encouragement I've written into the book. ~~~ I am so very glad I sent Sarah Palin a copy of "Journey!"

13WHAM News Interview

As a supplement to my last blog post, "Palin's Promise Heard 'Round the World," I guess I have some 'splainin' to do! I was so excited about having the interview with 13WHAM News on ABC, that I struggled right away to copy the 13WHAM.com/news/local/story to this blogspot. It all began late Thursday morning with a phone call from someone at Lifetime Assistance Inc. saying 13WHAM was wondering if there was a family from LAI they could talk to in order to connect to Sarah Palin's V.P. presentation the night before. I said I'd be honored to do an interview, and I had a call from the newsman about noon. He and his photographer arrived around 1:15, and did a 20 minute shoot. It was aired on the 5PM News that evening -- perhaps three minutes of it -- but people said to me at a meeting that evening, and the next day, "I saw you on the news tonight! I said, 'Hey, that's Sybil!'"~~~My vision is to have a video of interviews I've already done which I can send to "Oprah" and reach as many caregivers as possible with "Journey With Jeff"!!