Dr. Kinder's Story:

When Julia Kinder's daughter Ella was born, it felt like someone died. Family gathered outside the hospital room, and spoke in whispers. Everyone cried. The hospital staff avoided Kinder and her husband, Mitch, left their meals at the door.

A pediatrician they had never met came to their room the morning after Ella’s birth and said, "There’s no easy way to tell you this, but your daughter has Down syndrome."

There’s no easy way to hear it, either. No parent should ever feel like their baby's life starts out with a death; the death of their dreams for the future, the end of their hope for a happy, healthy child. But it happens every day, because parents don't have immediate access to the help or reassurance they need to overcome the myths and misconceptions surrounding Down syndrome in our society.

From Surviving to Thriving:

Julia Kinder, DO – a practicing physician – spent years just surviving her daughter's Down syndrome diagnosis, before learning how to thrive with it. Today, Ella is an independent, determined 7-year-old who learned to read at 19 months of age and started kindergarten a year early.

"When Ella was born, I thought Down syndrome was an awful diagnosis to be feared. I now know that I spent too much time worrying over things that weren’t true. How did I discover the truth? Ella showed me. She showed me that she is just a kid – Down syndrome is a small part of who she is, and honestly it isn’t the most interesting thing about her," says Kinder.

Become a Thrivalist:

Now, Dr. Kinder is on a mission to shift the widespread misperceptions surrounding Down syndrome, and show parents just how limitless this diagnosis can be. Join Dr. Kinder in reshaping life with Down syndrome as she ignites a passion for powerful living among families coping with a Down syndrome diagnosis. Discover the Upside of Down, Right Now!