She said the event, part of Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October, and Wimmera community and business support meant so much to her family and others with Down Syndrome.
“We’re very proud of how it went. It certainly exceeded our expectations,” she said.
“It was overwhelming to see all the support, and you just think, this is what it is all about – the community getting behind and rallying for people with Down Syndrome.
“The more we can say that it’s normal and it’s okay, the better. Let’s celebrate these wonderful people.”
Mrs Koenig said the couple received Oskar’s Down Syndrome diagnosis when she was 12-weeks pregnant.
She said at first, the couple ‘felt that fear’ that many other families face upon hearing such news. But with the creation of a family Instagram page, Lessons From Oskar, where they share their experiences raising a child with Down Syndrome, the couple is hoping to show people that the disorder is ‘nothing to fear’.
“When we were diagnosed, one of the first things we did was look to find other people and families with children who had Down Syndrome, and Instagram was where we went,” Mrs Koenig said.
“We created our Instagram page to show that this is what it is like pretty much day-to-day.
“As I always say, we wouldn’t want Oskar any other way, because if he didn’t have Down Syndrome, he wouldn’t be the little boy we love today.”
– Lotte Reiter
The entire October 23, 2019 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!