Family Resource Coalition
Spring 2008 Newsletter

The date was January, 2007.

My name is Wayne Carter, and I am a Family Health Partner for Polk County CMS office, Tampa Bay Region.The FHP referral I received was a simple request:"Mom is seeking support group for parents of children with down syndrome in Polk County:...

It seemed easy enough to fulfill. Our county is huge geographically, and has a fairly large population. Surely it would take a telephone call or two to find the right group for this mother, then one more call to satisfy her need.

That would have been too simple. Our region, as it turned out, had little or no personal supports for parents specifically relating to this problem. Several calls later, I turned to the main office in Orange County, the Central Florida Down Syndrome Association headquarters, for assistance in finding some supports for this mom. A nice lady named Amy noted she had requests in the past, but none existed, and their group may be interested in helping if "someone" wanted to put in the legwork to make this happen.

A few quick calls later, and Karyn Spencer, the mom looking for a group, was suddenly jumping into the ring as organizer and parent to assemble the support group she had been seeking to join! From this core the Down Syndrome Association of Polk County was born, a now vibrant group of parents, professionals, and persons with Down Syndrome who have taken this fledgling group and created a vibrant and exciting team of dedicated individuals.

Quite honestly, the impetus for this work needed little of my help. I simply made a few calls, and the machinery was set in motion by Karyn and her team. The persons who propelled this group into existence were the moms and dads who were seeking this type of resource, working together with the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida.

Meeting monthly in the Lakeland region, DSAPC now has an excellent website at www.dsapolk.org and is very active in local and regional events and planning throughout their home area. Their holiday and special event parties have been thoroughly enjoyed by the many members who have become active attendees and partners in working together for the success of the children with Down Syndrome in this region.

DSAPC also sends a monthly newsletter loaded with information, resources, and of course, upcoming events for the folks in this region. Their group averages 20-30 at each support group meeting, and the friendships formed through this dedicated work have been truly inspirational for others in the region.

This vibrant and active group has been changing the face of this region due to the willingness of one woman to say, "I will make a difference".... though I personally believe the changed faces she cares most about are the smiles on the faces of the children they serve and love.

Please take the time to visit their website at www.dsapolk.org and learn about this active group, or contact Karyn directly at karyn@dsapolk.org.