March 19, 2024
The Liberty Lake Splash
PO Box 363
Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Phone: 509-242-7752
News Blog Business Community Opinion Sports
Submitted photo

Alaina Stevenson, pictured above with husband, Kyle, and sons Beau and Bryce, created a program called Beau’s Baskets of Hope to provide support and resources for families whose children have Down syndrome.

Search the News Archive Search the News Archive

Mom creates Beau's Baskets of Hope
2/25/2015 12:54:58 PM


Submitted photo


By Lauren Campbell
Splash Contributor

Five years ago, when Alaina Stevenson's first son Beau was born with Down syndrome, she found herself in a state of shock, and without any source of support.

"When we were given the diagnosis, a social worker came in to our room and gave us an overwhelming book of medical jargon," she said.

She went where many go with questions - to Google. Everything she read just left her more scared for her son's future. She describes her feelings as a bit of a grieving process, even as she had her baby boy in her arms.

What she really needed was encouragement.

"It can be a really scary and shocking time," Stevenson said. "For a while, (my husband and I) just wanted to run away. I want other parents to know that all the feelings they're having are normal."

When Beau was a toddler, she created a program, Beau's Baskets of Hope, to donate welcome baskets to other parents of children with Down syndrome. She held a fundraiser in her hometown of St. Maries, Idaho, to raise money for the first round of welcome baskets.

Stevenson donated the first basket to Deaconess Hospital, where Beau was born, on his third birthday. Due to medical privacy laws, she leaves the baskets at the hospital to be delivered to new parents by nurses on duty.

The baskets, which are now in 10 area hospitals and two genetic counseling offices, include diapers, children's books, stuffed animals, baby accessories, contact information for Down Syndrome Connections Northwest, and literature about Down syndrome. 

"I wanted people to know that they have support and to have the chance to just be congratulated on this new life," Stevenson said.

Not all of the recipients of the baskets reach out to Stevenson, but many do, although sometimes it can take a year or two. Many parents have told her that the basket was a beacon of hope in a scary time for their family.

"From the moment we first saw our precious baby girl, we both knew in our hearts that she had Down syndrome," said Beth Hohenstreet, mother of an infant with Down syndrome, via email. "It is hard to describe all the strong emotions we felt that day: there was a strange mixture of love, fear, faith and sadness … A ray of sunshine and hope came into our room that afternoon … a nurse entered carrying a huge, lovely basket. … We can't seem to find words to adequately describe what that basket did for us. Our spirits were immediately lifted - someone knew what we were going through! Others saw our baby as a gift worth celebrating, and they even took time, energy, and money to show us just what a precious gift we had."

Since she began distributing the baskets, Stevenson has given baskets to 45 families. She is now on the board of Ds Connections, and the project has become an official part of its budget. Stevenson and her family moved from Idaho to Liberty Lake a few years ago.

One of the mothers who received a basket is a woman from Troy, Idaho, and she proceeded to start a website and Facebook page, called Special Miracles. She wrote about the baskets in one of her newsletters, and shortly after, Stevenson was contacted by people around the world about starting a similar program in their area to support other parents.

The Ds Connections Northwest group also provides support for families as their kids grow up. Parents can reach out to other parents who have experience with Down and receive support as well as recommendations - for a great dentist, a speech therapist or activities that their children have enjoyed. The organization hosts events where families can come together for a fun day, and each family there has experience with Down. 

Down syndrome is caused by an extra replication of the 21st chromosome, causing people to have three instead of the standard two. Because of this, World Down syndrome Day is on the 21st of March - 3/21. Down Syndrome International encourages people to talk about Down syndrome on that day, to increase awareness and discuss the myriad possibilities available to people with the condition. 

To find out more, go to www.facebook.com/beausbasketsofhope

• • • 

Profiles: Alaina Stevenson

Age
32

Family
Husband, Kyle; sons, Beau and Bryce

Dream vacation
Somewhere tropical where I can unwind and relax.

Favorite hobby
Any activity outdoors - running, snowshoeing, hiking, etc.

Something unique about you
I'm an identical twin.

Advertisement

Copyright © 2024 The Liberty Lake Splash | Print Page