The Butterfly: A Mother’S Story of Her Down's Syndrome Daughter

By Judith A. Dempsey

This is the story of one familys journey with their daughter who has Downs syndrome from her birth in 1962 to her death in 2014 at the age of fifty-one. It also chronicles societys response to persons with disabilities from institutionalization for life to, more recently, living with families or in group homes and, for those who are able, training and employment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: May 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781489712462

Judith A. Dempsey

Judy Dempsey has worked as an educator for thirty-two years, first as a classroom teacher, then as a school counselor; she did private counseling with children, families, and couples. She also served at the state Consumer and Family Advisory committee. Now retired, she lives with an eighteen year old cat and an Australian blue heeler. Her late husband was also an author. Several years ago, she and her husband published a calendar of nature photography. She first attended in writing during a two-week workshop called Teacher Scholar in Residence in University of North Carolina sponsored by North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching—“Everybody has a story to tell and write.” That peaked her interest, and from then on, she attended several writing workshops and attended the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival at the University of Fairbanks in Alaska for three summers. She’s been involved with North Carolina Senior Olympics Silver Arts, the literary division. She received the silver medal for Understanding Your Mortality in essay writing, bronze for her poem called “Morning” in poetry, and also bronze for “My Brother’s 75th Birthday in New Orleans,” which was life-experience story. James Melvin obtained his B.S. degree in Art Education/Design from N.C. A&T State University. At age ten his desire was to become a professional artist. Perseverance, guidance and dependence upon his Heavenly Father allowed him to achieve his goal. A versatile artist, James works in oils, acrylics, pastels and colored pencils. Peace is the theme of his work. He is the illustrator for Suzanne Tate's Nature Series, other writers and the Pea Island Lifesavers Series at the N.C. Lifesavers series at the N.C. Aquarium in Manteo.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 Judith A. Dempsey.

Cover by Kathryn Louise Dempsey

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

LifeRich Publishing

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.liferichpublishing.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4897-1247-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-1246-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017905587

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 5/18/2017

7604.png

Contents

The Butterfly

The Author

Epigraph

Foreword

Dedication

Preface

The Journey

A Night To Remember

The Move

The Coldest Night Of The Year

Going South

A Home of Our Own

Venturing Forth

Changes

Kathy Loved Animals

Max

Special Olympics

Other Challenges

Life in Glyndon

Life after School

A Family Vacation

Paul and Jayna

A Major Decision

A Whole New Way of Life

Jack Arrives

Jack Passes Away

A Member Of My Family

Pauletta’s Family

Trip To Toledo

Final Thoughts

In Gratitude for many years of Special Olympic Participation

Judith A. Dempsey

2IMGButterfly.jpg7702.png

The Butterfly

K athy Dempsey was a 51 year old Down’s Syndrome adult who passed away on January 25, 2014. Among her papers from the Activity Center her mother, Judith A. Dempsey, found this coloring of the butterfly.

Mrs. Dempsey feels this is Kathy’s way of saying,

I am with Jesus now! I have risen with Him and I am perfect now! I am dancing before the throne of the Lamb!

3IMG436.jpg

One of our Last Pictures Together at the Beach Overpass in Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, NC

7702.png

The Author

J udith A. Dempsey is both the mother of Kathy Dempsey and the author of two other books. A Tale of Two Brothers, The Story of the Wright Brothers was written and published in 2003, the hundredth anniversary of the first flight. The second book was published in 2016, Joshua’s Journey . It is the story of a young black boy right after the Civil War who wants to be a doctor.

Ms. Dempsey was urged to write Kathy’s story during a class at the Dare Arts council. The group was studying The Artist’s Way. Kathy had passed away in 2014. It was time to tell her story in the hopes that it would encourage other parents of special needs children.

Mrs. Dempsey holds two Masters Degrees, one in Early Childhood Education and another in School Counseling.

She worked in Baltimore County Schools for fifteen years and in Currituck County for ten years. Before that she worked at a cooperative nursery and the Children’s Guild for emotionally Disturbed preschoolers.

She was chosen to go to NCAT for a two-week writing workshop. It is there she developed a love of writing. After retirement she joined a writing group which met for ten years encouraging each other and working together to improve their writing skills.

It is her hope that other parents can benefit from reading Kathy’s Story.

Many things have changed since Kathy’s birth in 1962. At