{"id":1405,"date":"2016-11-08T13:43:58","date_gmt":"2016-11-08T18:43:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/?p=1405"},"modified":"2016-11-08T13:43:58","modified_gmt":"2016-11-08T18:43:58","slug":"gigis-playhouse-meant-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/gigis-playhouse-meant-us\/","title":{"rendered":"What GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Has Meant to Us"},"content":{"rendered":"

A cold, snowy January morning brought news that our baby, that little life growing inside, was going to have Down syndrome and that changed everything. We never doubted what to do, and never considered \u2018other options.\u2019 We knew<\/i>, though, that a support system was absolutely essential for when little Miss Abigail Grace was born.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fast forward two years and we are now living in Cary, North Carolina. We were reaching out to support systems and making sure Abbey had the best foundation upon which to build her life. When we lived in the Northeast, we had heard about GiGi\u2019s Playhouse, but never had the opportunity to explore it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now a GiGi\u2019s Playhouse had come to Raleigh. About one mile from our home. We had no idea what to expect, what services they\u2019d offer, or what support Abbey would get. Upon calling to get some more information, I immediately felt a warm connection with the compassionate and friendly voice on the other end of the phone which we later came to know as Caroline Moore, site coordinator. <\/span><\/p>\n

We brought Abbey over there and immediately noticed the wide open space. Abbey loves to run so this was perfect. There are lots of cool toys to play with, such as books, puzzles, blocks, balls, and so much more that stimulate and promote good mental and physical activity.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

So what has GiGi\u2019s Playhouse meant for us?<\/span><\/p>\n

It has meant a world of wonder. It has meant exploration. It has meant discovery. It has meant achievement. But most of all, it has meant connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

We couldn\u2019t get over that this experience is all free from the open play to the programs they offer. When your budget is tight, having a place like this has been such a blessing to us.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

At GiGi\u2019s, it\u2019s all about children with Down syndrome and their families. It\u2019s about learning from those who have gone through the early steps. It\u2019s about sharing experiences and being a support for newcomers to this incredible eye-opening and awe-inspiring experience called Down syndrome. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s about one small step that leads to another \u2026 then another \u2026 and before you realize it, you\u2019ve taken a breathtaking journey filled with wonders you never thought you could even dream<\/i> about, much less experience firsthand.<\/span><\/p>\n

GiGi\u2019s Playhouse here in Raleigh has meant connecting, building relationships, learning, and growing, not just for<\/i> our precious Abbey, but with<\/i> her. It\u2019s meant that we have somewhere to turn when the days may seem their darkest, when the storms roll in, or to celebrate and lift others up when we couldn\u2019t ask for clearer sunny skies.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve only tapped into the possibilities at GiGi\u2019s Playhouse, but we have to say, without a doubt, we\u2019re so much more hopeful for Abbey\u2019s future -and all kids with Down syndrome- because of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you GiGi\u2019s!<\/span><\/p>\n

Gerald, Diane, & Abbey<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A cold, snowy January morning brought news that our baby, that little life growing inside, was going to have Down syndrome and that changed everything. We never doubted what to do, and never considered \u2018other options.\u2019 We knew, though, that a support system was absolutely essential for when little Miss Abigail Grace was born. Fast…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":115,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-generationg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/115"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/raleigh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}