Lucas’ Birth Story
Lucas' Birth Story By Mom, Yvonne When Lucas was born almost 16 years ago, the room was really quiet moments after he was delivered. I instantly knew something was wrong. My momma bear instincts immediately kicked in and among the low whispers I said, "I want my baby". It took...
Emily’s Story
Emily's Story By Mom, Laurie The day I found out about Emily's Down syndrome was very scary. The moment I connected with Beth and Diane at GiGi's Playhouse Tinley Park, I knew we were going to be okay. I was welcomed with open arms and it was an instant family....
Cam’s Birth Story
Cam's Birth Story By Mom, Krysten We did not have a prenatal diagnosis with Cam. The day he was born was kind of a whirlwind. I was 2.5 weeks from my due date, so part of me couldn't believe I was in labor. Things weren't "ready" at home or at...
Tim’s Birth Story
Tim's Birth Story By Mom, Nancy Tim was born in Texas City, TX on March 8, 1984. He was 6 lb., 13 oz. and 20 inches long. Other than looking like he was REALLY mad, there was nothing I could see that would tell me about our impending journey... Let...
Eli’s Diagnosis Story
Eli's Diagnosis Story By Mom, Yadi Two years ago, my husband, Russell and I were on our way to our 18 week ultrasound, unaware of how our world was about to change. At that ultrasound, they determined we were having another boy (yay!) but they found a heart defect. That...
Ivy’s Birth Story
Ivy's Birth Story By Mom, Kristin I will never forget the first time I saw Ivy. I looked at her and thought "Wow that's a lot of hair" , "Gosh, she is gorgeous" and "Oh, she has Down syndrome." In those first few hours of her life, I felt nothing...
Season 2 Finale of Born This Way
We LOVED watching this season of "Born This Way"! Steven, Christina, John, Megan, Rachel, Sean and Elena you ALL inspire us! In the Season 2 Finale, all of the cast members wrote letters to new parents of children with Down syndrome! It really summed up the season well because this...
A Follow Up About Jeff!
At almost 40 years old, Jeff's dream is to get a job at McDonald's. His sister brought him to GiGi's for literacy tutoring in an attempt to retrieve some dormant skills. From day one, Jeff has come to weekly tutoring with a pen in his pocket and a smile on...
Birth Stories!
Yesterday A&E's hit show, "Born This Way" posted a video on their Facebook page entitled "Birth Stories". The video highlighted all of the cast member's parents and their recollections of each of their children's birth stories. To view the video, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BornThisWayAETV/. In the video, Kris Bomgaars-Megan's mom says, "Sometimes I...
Tinley Park Playhouse to Hold Inaugural 5K/3rd Annual 1 Mile Walk/Kid’s Dash
GiGi’s Playhouse Tinley Park will hold their FIRST ever 5k and 3rd Annual 1 Mile Walk/Kid’s Dash on Saturday, September 10 2016 at Yankee Woods (16520 Central Avenue) in Oak Forest. On-site registration and check-in will begin at 7:30am with the 5K kicking off at 9am, 1 Mile Walk at...
New Programs at GiGi’s Tinley Park!
This summer, GiGi's Playhouse Tinley Park has introduced 3 new programs: Young Athletes™; Busy Hands, Bigger Plans; and Playhouse Partners to prepare for GiGi Prep! Young Athletes™ is being held on Wednesdays from 10-10:45am. Staff members from Southwest Special Recreation Association have been leading the program and our participants love...
GiGi’s Tinley Progressing Towards GiGi U
This summer, GiGi’s Tinley is really beginning to promote programs to begin the transition towards GiGi U. GiGi U is a comprehensive series of programs that focuses on the development of confidence, health and wellness, as well as career interests and skills for adults with Down syndrome. One program that...