It’s been a busy few months! I really enjoyed meeting and dancing with people who we usually see online when they join DanceSyndrome dance sessions at the Encore weekend in April because they don’t live near Preston. We created dance with each other as one big dancing family. We were all very happy. Attending the Board meeting in April with … Read More
‘I Need Personal Time and Personal Space’ is true for everyone
In a bit of a bind, my daughter Jen — who has a learning disability — declared ‘I need personal time and personal space’. True for all of us! We’ve all been there. It’s all too easy to be overwhelmed by one element of our lives which rears its head at every waking moment. E-mails and social media are perhaps … Read More
The Making of Us: 45 Years Defined by Jen — A Down’s Syndrome Family Story
In the UK Carers week and Learning Disability Awareness Week are celebrated back to back in ‘blazing’ June. Both resonate so powerfully with me and my life defined by Jen, our daughter who arrived almost 45 years ago with the unexpected addition of Down’s syndrome. We all know that becoming a parent changes your life for ever. Little did we … Read More
Connecting through dance
It’s been a busy few months with my family and my dancing family. I am very proud of all we’ve done so far this year. It’s been very exciting. After my Mum and Dad sailed across the Atlantic on their yacht Sukama in January, my lead support and Fire Sister Donna and I flew to meet them in Tampa Bay, … Read More
The joy of life on Sukama
After our whirlwind week in the UK visiting Malcolm’s Mum Jean and finding her in remarkably fine spirits, a couple of powerful DanceSyndrome sessions connecting with each other in person and other organisations in our dance world including our partners from Japan, and playing catch up on various fronts, we were happy to be heading back to Sukama. UK, Antigua, … Read More
Humanity rising – the power of love
These past couple of weeks have been amazing, a microcosm of our world in theory and in practice. We have embraced risk and opportunity, we have committed to each other and travelled the miles, inspired and impacted unsuspecting others, and opened doors to the future for DanceSyndrome with Jen seen, heard, valued and respected communicating through her language of dance. … Read More
The vibrancy of life being lived
The stifling heat in Antigua greeted my sister (Paul’s Mum), Merie two weeks ago. It has been pure joy to hear her excitement as she witnesses the next unexpected and revels in the numerous offbeat opportunities presenting. I am thrilled that we are able to make new memories with someone so dear to me, someone who I only came to know … Read More
DanceSyndrome 17 years on
Thank you for noticing and for your congratulations! Can it really be 17 years since we took those first faltering steps towards the birth of DanceSyndrome? Like so many decisions it was driven by necessity. Jen’s world was crumbling around her and the frustration of her aspirations not being recognized just because she has a learning disability was too much … Read More
Choosing your path
I shall always remember the very first time we visited and fell in love with Guernsey. Aft clambering over rocks we were resting and admiring the view from the alluring coast path, Jen gurgling happily in a kangaroo carrier as Malcolm and I chatted quietly smitten by the beauty of our surroundings and the profundity of the moment as we … Read More
Jen’s summer months – in her own words
I hope you had a lovely summer. I did. I’m loving my life, just being me. I’m having a blast! The July community showcase of my charity DanceSyndrome was just amazing. All my dancers were together in one space. Everyone shone in their own unique way and lit up the theatre but we came together in a new dance where … Read More