ATLANTA, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — There are over 450,000 individuals with Down syndrome living in the U.S. alone. Add to that the family members and professionals who live alongside them, and there are over 2 million people who face this diagnosis every day.
Kimberly L. Sanders, whose son Lukas has a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism, knows this all too well. In her first book, Beside You, Sanders generously shares the unpredictable struggles and rich lessons learned through Lukas. Beside You is set for release on October 1, marking the start of Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Available for pre-order now, the memoir will be in paperback for $14.99 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other book retailers, and will be available as an eBook exclusively on Amazon for $6.99.
Sanders is on a mission to change the narrative around Down syndrome. She says, "I want parents to know that a Down syndrome diagnosis might be hard news, but it isn’t bad news. We receive a deeply profound, aching, and beautiful gift when we welcome someone with Down syndrome into our lives. We need those that have gone before us to remind us of this truth."
Sanders naively imagined motherhood as a serene walk beside her children; however, she discovered it is more often fraught with struggle and ultimately an invitation to sit beside her children in the muck and mystery. In a society that celebrates big platforms, bold voices, and fast actions, Sanders shares that Lukas reveals the beauty found in small victories, speaking without words, and slow, hard-earned transformations.
Beside You is a powerful and grace-filled memoir told in vignettes, covering the first 10 years of Lukas’ life. It gives you a peek behind the curtain into the sacred space of a mother’s tender and resilient heart. It is a relentlessly hopeful story. In Beside You, Kimberly shares how Lukas illuminated her own special needs – ones we all share, but often try to dismiss or hide. Yet it is those very needs that lead us to the table where our crumbs are multiplied, and an unexpected feast awaits.
PHOTOS are here.
Beside You Details:
- Paperback: 214 pages
- ISBN-10: 166530054X
- ISBN-13: 978-1665300544
- Publisher: Heavenly Light Press, an Imprint of BookLogix
About Kimberly L. Sanders:
Sanders attended Indiana University and received her BA in English & Theater. Later, she received her Masters of Arts in Teaching from Wheaton College. She worked as an actress in Chicago and then taught high school English for 14 years. Sanders integrated those passions when she adapted and directed literary works for the stage. She now leads "Listen to My Life" groups in Sanibel, FL, where she currently lives with her family. For more information, go to KimberlyLSanders.com or @kimberlylsanders on Instagram.
SOURCE Kimberly L. Sanders
