International Angelman Syndrome Day

There’s a special day coming up this month. I don’t mean Valentine’s Day. February 15th is International Angelman Syndrome Day. This will be our second year celebrating this beautiful day.

Angelman families are encouraged to post nonverbal ways that they express their love using #showthelove. If you search this hashtag, you will find all sorts of ways that families show their love for their angel and vice versa. Even though our children are nonverbal, they are full of expressive ways to show how much they care about their loved ones.

Blue is the color for Angelman Syndrome awareness. If you could all wear a piece of blue clothing, I would greatly appreciate it. Nicole and I will be wearing blue to work, and we are encouraging our coworkers to do the same.

International Angelman Syndrome Day holds a special place in my heart. Before Maddie’s diagnosis, I had never heard of Angelman Syndrome. Fast forward to today, I have met so many people and have been inspired by their stories. This is a community of the most giving individuals you will ever meet. I am thankful to have them.

Update: I wanted to share an update on last week’s blog. We were informed by our daycare that a waiver has been approved for Maddie to stay in her current daycare room. We will be working with the daycare to make any adjustments as Maddie continues to grow and learn new skills. This waiver does not have an end date. We are so happy that this waiver was approved, and we can continue to send Maddie to a place she is loved and is safe.

-Written by Adam Birchmeier