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
The date for World Down Syndrome Day is March 21, the 21st day of the 3rd month. It was selected to signify the 3 copies of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome (Trisomy-21). Each year, it is a time to celebrate those with Down syndrome and to bring awareness worldwide that all people are all much more similar than any one of our differences. There are a lot of wonderful stories shared each year, and this year was no different. Here are some of our favorites from World Down Syndrome Day 2021.
Teaching sign language to kids with Down syndrome is common. So I know this opinion may ruffle some feathers. But I believe there that may be a negative side to teaching sign language. Particularly to the extent that it is often used to replace verbal language for younger children with Down syndrome.
I have a HUGE problem with pediatricians telling moms that it is just OK for a baby to skip crawling. And it makes me crazy when this is said to a mom with a child who has special needs.
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.
One of the things I want my kids to remember about their childhood is how much I loved playing with them. One thing I do with Lennox daily is role play. If you could watch me at home, you would rarely find me speaking in my own tone.
My driving force behind everything I do is my sister, Rebecca. Becky is my older sister. She is severely disabled. Yes, she had challenges, and yes, she was different, but she was a living, breathing, beautiful human who deserved the same love and respect that any of us do.
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