A Little About Us
I am Sandy. I am author, entrepreneur and digital content creator. I have two children: a sweet little boy called Lennox and the precious little girl in the picture, Mara. Mara was prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome when I was 11 weeks pregnant. Her diagnosis came as a shock, but it only took me 4 days to get back on my feet and take charge of the situation to make sure that my little girl would have all the resources and support she may need.
I spent my entire pregnancy learning about neuroplasticity and how we can improve the physical and cognitive abilities of our babies. Since Mara’s birth, I have spent countless hours implementing a routine that includes daily physical, cognitive, visual, and tactile stimulation. I keep getting surprised by how much we can assist our children and equip them to conquer anything they want if they receive proper early stimulation.
My motto as a mother, and more specifically as a special needs mom, is “information is power”. That is why I decided to create this website. I know that every single child can reach their maximum potential if we, as parents, have access to the right information.
about us
How We Got Started
After repeated requests from many of my loyal @Instagram followers for more information about what we were doing to help Mara in her development, @MaraTheWondergirl Instagram was born. It was a great way for us to share Mara’s progress, her infectious smile, and her huge personality. It was also a great way to connect with other mamas who had questions and were seeking advice.
Little by little, the “How did you do _____?” questions grew. And it was becoming increasingly clear that one-on-one messages did not allow me to serve the needs of our growing community in the way I wanted. We knew that the impact could be bigger and that we could reach more families. And so, MaraTheWondergirl.com was born. It is an important next step to provide a new home for all of us. Thank you for being a part of it.
Glad You Have Joined Us On Our Adventure
Top Posts
I get asked how to handle tantrums so so often on my Instagram account, so I decided to invite an expert to talk about the subject. Dr. Becky Kennedy is a clinical psychologist specializing in parenting, managing anxiety, and building…
Quitting is not an option because my dreams are important to me. My dreams are always bigger than my pain. When it gets hard and I think about quitting, my dad reminds me of my dreams and my dreams always win. I think if I didn’t have big dreams, I would probably quit.
Today, almost two years after starting the program we do daily with Mara, I can assure you that it is a much better approach when it comes to development for children. And not just children with Down syndrome. This applies includes the neuro-typical children as well – Lennox also follows this program.
While looking for examples of how others used PVC pipes to create the Walk Assist Parallel Bars we created for Mara, we stumbled upon this idea for a Jungle Gym. We modified it a bit and this was the configuration we used.
As the parents of a special needs child, Wendi Hoffer and her husband realized how important enjoyable family experiences together were to them as a family. But she also realized how challenging it was for families to justify the costs of a vacation or the time away from therapy. Wendi is here to share her experience and show others how one person really can make a difference.
The mission of The Confetti Foundation is to supply birthday parties to children who have to spend their birthday at the hospital, pediatric oncology clinic or hospice facility. The foundation was started with the hope that families will be able to shift their focus from their child’s sickness for just 30 minutes and celebrate. Although the party is not a cure, it will be a welcome distraction and a good reminder that every child deserves to be celebrated.
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