Spring really does make everyone so very happy because we don’t like winter anymore. It really makes us feel good to have spring here at last. Where I am, in Calgary, the roads are better now but we had a very light snow here not long ago. That really should be the last of the snow! I don’t like the cold. I will be preparing for spring by spring cleaning. Spring is really about being refreshed and being able to start new again in our own homes. Some activities to feel refreshed that I do are helping my mom with her baking and doing household chores like making my bed, cleaning the bathro ..read more

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The great importance of having World Down Syndrome Day is to have a very good and respectful world. We need to respect people with Down syndrome. We should really have respect for everyone. World Down Syndrome Day is about knowing that we are really doing something good for the world and for us too, because it really, deeply is so very important to us all who have Down Syndrome like me and my very old friends and the friends that I see now.  World Down Syndrome Day is very important to me and to my everyday life and it has been throughout my entire lifetime. From the time I was born unt ..read more

CDSS has received the largest individual gift in our history, propelling research and collaboration for the Down syndrome community across Canada.  This remarkable contribution comes at a pivotal moment, amplifying the impact we can make together on an unprecedented scale. People with Down syndrome are living longer than ever, and future caregivers, medical professionals, and support teams need supports based on community research. With 7.8 million Canadians providing care to a family member or friend, we cannot afford to continue ignoring the growing gap in our healthcare syst ..read more

Happy Valentine’s Day! Love means many different things to different people. CDSS Awareness Leader Paul Sawka explores some of the loving relationships in his own life, including his family, his girlfriend Kelsey, and his hope to one day have children. Family Love  Valentine’s is about being in love with my family. I have been in love ever since my own birth in 1986 and we have been together for the past 38 years. My family is well-loved because they have a loving, grown-up son. I love them so very much in my heart. I really have grown up a lot over the years with my family and als ..read more

Swimming I have been in the Calgary Dolphin Swim Club Program for 21 Years and I had been taught to learn to swim with this group.  When I was young I first started to learn about the strokes that I did in the pool. It is great to be a part of my own life and so I have kept up with the program. As a Swim Club we had to save Inglewood Pool from being torn down because our Calgary Dolphin Swim Club Program was started there so far back in the past and that is where we belong. I go swimming three times a week: 7-8 every Monday night, Thursday evening 7-8, and 6-10 every Saturday morning ..read more

Celebrating the Season Hi, it’s me Paul, your CDSS Awareness Ambassador! I’m excited to share my holiday family traditions with you – the things we do together that make this time so special. This is a special time of the year for me and for lots of other people as well. Each family does different things to make their winter full of holiday cheer. Let’s start in the middle of November, that’s when my mom makes Christmas cakes. The house smells so good! She keeps baking until just before Christmas. My dad helps too – he makes candies and chocolates that taste amazing. We have a lot of trea ..read more

Hey everyone, my name is Paul Sawka. I am the Awareness Leader for CDSS. I have been thinking and writing a lot about feelings and changes lately. I really wanted to share these thoughts with the world, so I would like to invite you to read my new blog series about my own emotions and changes as I get older.   Changes: Exploring Emotions and Aging Part 1: Dealing with Grief Part 2: Sibling Relationships  Part 3: Selling the Family Home (Coming Soon) Part 4: Life Post-Pandemic (Coming Soon) Part 5: Friendships and Loneliness (Coming Soon)   Sibling Relationships I have had a ..read more

Hey everyone, my name is Paul Sawka. I am the Awareness Leader for CDSS. I have been thinking and writing a lot about feelings and changes lately. I really wanted to share these thoughts with the world, so I would like to invite you to read my new blog series about my own emotions and changes as I get older. Changes: Exploring Emotions and Aging Part 1: Dealing with Grief Part 2: Sibling Relationships (Coming Soon) Part 3: Selling the Family Home (Coming Soon) Part 4: Life Post-Pandemic (Coming Soon) Part 5: Friendships and Loneliness (Coming Soon)   Dealing with Grief Even though it ..read more

Ever since I was born I have grown up with my Dad and all of the wonderful things that he did with me. He is so very special to me and a very important person in my life. He was there to help me through the rough Covid-19 pandemic and has always been there for me.   The reason why Father’s Day is very important to me is because it is a wonderful day to celebrate having such a great Dad and to show him how important he is to me.   Maybe this Father’s Day I might be able to take my Dad out for lunch.   My Dad and I do many fun things together like playing golf or watching some spo ..read more