Guest Post — Tom and Bryan Lambke chronicle their experience at the Down Syndrome World Congress held in Ireland –

November of last year, I found out the next Down Syndrome World Congress was to be held in Dublin, Ireland, in August of this year. On a whim, and because Ireland has been a magical place for us Lambkes, I submitted an abstract for Bryan and me to be considered as presenters. Because I was aware that most presenters are PhDs with connections to a university, I was not too confident in getting chosen. In May, I was stunned to receive an email from the Congress inviting us to speak. My first reaction was that there was no way we could go as I had failed to save for it. But Karen told me she had a little put away and that since I always wanted the world as my stage that I would have to do what I do best – go out and raise the funds needed for the two of us. She said that we deserved to go and showcase our talented son and books.

My family has participated in five Best Buddies Bike Challenges and raising money is part of it, so we knew what to do. We sent out emails to those we thought might help or perhaps, know others who could help. Thanks to our friend, Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn, and his suggestions, within two weeks we had received checks from the Chandler Lions Club ($500), our good friend Bruce Newlander and his family ($500), Chandler Councilmember, Jeff Weininger ($150), and our friend, founder and president of Best Buddies International, Anthony Shriver, who sent us a personal check for $250. I was able to secure a great deal on airfare to Dublin and make arrangements to stay with our friends, Mary and Christy Shannon, and their sons, Christian and Barry, who have been our friends since the Special Olympics World Games in Ireland six years ago. Now we faced another challenge – editing our usual 2-2 ½ hour talk down to the requested fifteen minutes. Since we would also have a table to sell books, we were hoping we could make some good connections.

I am pleased to say that the highlight of the Congress was, for me, meeting and talking with a young lady named Karen Gaffney, who is thirty-one and has Down syndrome. This incredibly talented young lady, who I had heard so much about and who I had always wanted to meet, was part of a relay team that swam across the English Channel, swam solo across Lake Tahoe, and has swam to Alcatraz several times. She is a four foot ten inch dynamo, who weighs in at ninety-five pounds, and is in demand as a motivational speaker for groups and corporations around the world. We were fortunate to be able to make the time to listen to Karen’s fifteen minute presentation and I was amazed and blown away by her message and powerful speaking voice. We talked with her and her mom, Barb, sharing stories and swapping one of our books for Karen’s Lake Tahoe DVD. Then they asked if we wanted to be a part of Karen’s support team next June on another Alcatraz swim, kayaking alongside her. While Bryan and I planned to enjoy the sights of Dublin for two days after the Congress, Karen had plans to swim across the Bay of Dublin on one of those days!

While promoting our book, I JUST AM, the Internet provided me with valuable tools and information and we eventually met a lady online from Romania. She explained that due to her country’s economic struggles she could not afford to purchase our book. We sent her a copy and within days she emailed me asking if she could have it translated into Romanian to share with her countrymen. Of course we said yes as I never thought I would see the day that a book I wrote would be translated into another language! And to prove how small the world has actually become, two guys from Arizona go to Dublin, Ireland, and meet that lady, Liana Vislan, from Romania, who was also there as a presenter! She and her group have put together a package for new parents of babies with DS and it includes a DVD in Spanish, Greek, Italian and Romanian.

Although we did not have the opportunity to listen to many presenters, the Congress was a wealth of information. Just talking with everyone who came by our table was, at times, information overload. We learned of a young lady of twenty-seven with DS from Australia who married her boyfriend. Her proud mom and step dad explained to us how the couple is doing and showed us the book they wrote about Tammy. Graham, the step dad, was also a presenter and he talked about his DADS group that he developed and was promoting.

Several people from Australia and Ireland came by and said they already had our books! We met folks who had visited or lived in the USA at one point in their lives, and others who had never been here. We met Janet, a woman from South Africa who invented Happy Strap, a product designed to aid individuals with low muscle tone who are struggling to learn to walk – www.happystrap.us – We met Martin, from the United Kingdom, who invited everyone there with DS to join his new, SAFE and SECURE , website geared specifically toward people with learning disabilities, their friends or relatives and caregivers – Special Friends Online – http://www.specialfriendsonline.com/public/ or www.specialfriendsonline.com Our fifteen minute presentation went well and we were extremely pleased with the reaction from the audience. Here is a very nice comment we received from Ray Murray, of New Zealand, who introduced us to the crowd: “Tom, I thoroughly enjoyed your talk both the content and delivery.  A large part of what I do is supporting parents mostly by facilitating a program called “Communication and Supporting Skills for Parents of Children or Adults with Disabilities”. And many years ago I was a teacher of speech and drama. While I greatly enjoyed the story you shared with us I was deeply moved by Bryan’s personal “presence” and engaging smile. He seemed so relaxed, calmed and centered that he had a great impact on me. I strive to achieve something similar but Bryan just has it.”

We sold forty of the forty-two books that we brought with us, to seven other countries that we had not sold to before. We sold over fifty Down Syndrome Awareness wristbands and made connections with many people from around the world. But the most fun we had was talking with those individuals with DS, for they were far and away, the most interesting and talented characters we met. It was interesting to see Bryan’s reaction to each and how they interacted with each other. From swimming across lengthy bodies of water to playing not one, but eight instruments; from driving a car and already having paid for three vehicles on his own to jumping out of airplanes and skydiving; from swimmers and runners and bowlers to painters, performers and speakers, nothing is beyond anyone’s reach. It was a joy to witness the attitudes of many of these young people, who just happen to have Down syndrome, as they implore you with their silent cries of “Look at me! I can do anything you can do!”

We had two days after the Congress to do a little sight-seeing and learn more about Dublin. We purchased a pair of Dublin Passes and used the buses to see the beautiful cathedrals, Dublin Castle, and the Dublin Zoo, the second oldest zoo in Europe. Of course we took a tour of the Guinness Brewery, ending with a free pint on the seventh floor, and a tour of the Jameson Distillery, where I, a non-whiskey drinker, was one of the taste-testers. We finished with the Viking Splashdown Tour, an hour and a half drive in a converted World War II amphibious vehicle, where we were treated to hilarious dialogue from our driver, which was both entertaining and informational. It concluded with a splashdown into the Grand Canal, where the area was undergoing a massive and modern reconstruction. We walked a lot, heard people talking in every language, it seemed, walked some more, and Bryan never once complained. When we recapped our days for the family we stayed with, we discovered that we had learned more than most people there knew about!

As I once again reminisce and think of our glorious trip and the wonderful people we met, I can’t help but think about a saying that I heard while at the Congress – “We are all put on earth to help others; why on earth some people choose not to … I don’t know.”