Cards For Donya: Will You Help?

Last night I received an e-mail from a friend about a precious lady named Donya who attends church with her. Donya has Down’s Syndrome and her 50th birthday is coming up on August 18th.

I’ve been so touched by this woman’s story, that I must share it with you.  And I’m asking you to help me make precious Donya’s 50th birthday the best of her life!

Donya is no ordinary almost-50 year old.  Read what her mother says about her…

When Donya was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome, we were told she would never walk, never talk, never be toilet trained. We were told she would not live more than 20 years. We were told to put her in an institution and forget her because we had three children who shouldn’t be burdened with her presence. Fifty years ago retarded children were hidden in attics and cellars and dismal institutions. We couldn’t do that to our precious child. Because of Donya and the parents of other children like her, education and services are now provided for many of our handicapped people.

Today, Donya is able to do everything for herself. She does her own cooking, cleaning and washing clothes. She gets up every morning and gets ready to go to work at a sheltered workshop. She makes about $25 a week and can’t wait to cash that big check and do a little shopping. She understands money and likes to save it.

She loves going to Sunday school and church every Sunday with her brother and his wife. She truly understands the joy of God. She loves shopping for clothes with another brother and his wife. Donya’s third brother and his wife, are planning a slide show of her life to show at her birthday party this year. She loves her brothers and all the rest of our family. She has never been the burden we were told she would be. We have been blessed by her presence.

Over the last two years, Donya has lost 40 pounds on Nutrisystem. She walks a half mile every day (one way) to our mail box, rain or shine, with her dog, Boots. She is obsessed with the mail and so happy when something is addressed to her.

I sent an e-mail out when Donya was 40 asking friends to share it with everyone they knew. Donya received over 1,000 cards from the states and 11 foreign countries. It took hours to read every word on every card for two weeks until her birthday. And she knew if I tried to skip a word! I promised her we would do it again when she was 50. This is the year and I’m asking you please to do it again for Donya.

How amazing!  What an incredible woman!!

What can you do?  How to get involved:

• Leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address.  I will be sending out Donya’s address via e-mail to protect her privacy.
• Send a card to arrive on or before August 18th!
• Tweet: “Send a card to Donya who has Down’s Syndrome and turns 50 years old on 8/18!  http://bit.ly/cHrioG #cards4donya”
• Blog about Cards For Donya and link back to this post for readers to get involved!

Thank you for helping make this a beautiful, wonderful birthday for Donya!