Some truths about Camille and her family

Hi to everyone who has listed a thread about this book and the Geraldi family in general. I wanted to clear up a LOT of things considering I have known Camille, Mike and their children for over nine years now and can give you some accurate information. I dont know if anyone will read this considering I just floated onto this site today and these threads were posted almost a year ago, but we will see.
First off, I would like to clarify, THEY ARE A FAMILY. The majority of the children spoken of in the book are officially adopted by Camille and Mike. They live together, eat meals together, go on outings and celebrate holidays together and do other things that any family does. Camille and Michael are referred to as Mommy and Daddy by the children and are the MOST important people in their lives. They (and the children's innate will to live) are the reason the kids are alive in many cases. The children are loved, cared for, given individual attention and praise, etc. just like any other family.
Also, the reason the book focuses on babies and toddlers is because when the gross of it was written (back in 1993) the majority of the children were around four years old or younger. Therefore, there werent many older children around to write about. So, I have to contradict the idea that Camille only prefers babies and toddlers. That is a complete and blatent untruth. Camille loves every one of her children, young or old, and actually spends a great deal of time with the handicapped adults and teenagers that live in her care.
Next, I have to address the issue that Camille "ripped" children away from their birth parents. Considering all of the adoptions were open adoptions, and the majority of them were not finalized until the children were five years or older, this is ludicrous to assume. The birth parents are offered every opportunity to participate in every aspect of care for their child, and to take the baby back if they so desire. Camille and Mike have even reversed an adoption because the birth parents wished to take the baby back. I can say for a fact that in the case of many of the kids, their birth parents stay actively involved in their lives, despite their adoption status.
Also, the reason the kids mentioned in the book were "hard to place" adoptions is because Camille focused her interests on adopting children that had severe medical disorders in addition to DS or other disabilities. THerefore, because of their medical status (not the DS) they were difficult to place. The majority of our children have severe heart defects that require extensive years of surgery and follow up, including one 14 year old with a pacemaker and defibrillator who has had six open heart surgeries and a valve replacement to date. We also have children with extensive GI, respiratory and metabolic disorders that limit their placement. The reason Camille and Mike take in so many of these involved kids is because they have the educational background and training to adequately and safely care for them. Camille and Mike also care for a number of profoundly disabled DS children-kids with IQ's in the teens- that are self mutilating, have autistic tendencies, etc. and are virtually impossible to place elsewhere when considering the challenges posed as the children get older.
To address the "snorting" comments- if you listen to infants in congestive heart failure (DS or not) while they are eating or sleeping, they often make grunting or snorting noises. This is reflective more of the CHF than the DS, although in many babies with both DS and CHF, the grunting or snorting is more pronounced because many of the children have enlarged tongues.
So, the fact that the book made DS seem scarier than it actually is- if you are a parent lucky enough to have a completely healthy DS child, bless you. However, considering 40% of children with DS are born with heart defects and other medical disorders, there is a very real possibility that they will have some sort of disorder through life. Also, there are all kinds of systemic problems that can manifest as the child gets older. This book was focusing on THE GERALDI FAMILY not the DS population at large, and many of the Geraldi children are very medically fragile, and we have had our share of scares regarding their health.
Also I would like to say that not all children with DS are like Chris Burke either, I would say a slim majority, and offering only that picture of Downs to parents is also unfair.
Therefore, I would like to say that I love Camille Geraldi and her family as much as I love my own. They ARE my family. Her children are like my siblings, and I have been around to watch them grow from infants to exceptional children and adults.
So, please, before you get upset at this book, consider that it is not a generalization regarding Down syndrome but simply the story of an amazing and VERY LOVING family.
Thanks : )