Kansas City man writes book about parenting son with Down syndrome
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Kansas City man writes book about parenting son with Down syndrome

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Edward Newsome and his son, Edward Newsome II signed copies of their new book on Sunday.

The book, titled “Down Syndrome & The Power of a Father’s Love”, chronicles their lives together, and Newsome’s experiences raising a child with Down Syndrome.


“When he was born, there was very little information about what to do, so to speak, for fathers. Most of the information was written for mothers,” Newsome said. The book goes into more detail about things he wishes he knew 45 years ago. “There is no school that teaches you how to be a father, especially a father with a child with special needs,” he said.

“I wish every child had a father like mine,” Newsome’s son, Edward Newsome II said. “He loves me just the way I am, just the way God made me.” Jokingly, his dad asked, “What do you think about your dad?” Edward II replied: “Oh, a handsome, happy, great father.”

Newsome became immersed in the Down Syndrome community, serving on the board of directors of the National Down Syndrome Congress. He says he’s learned so much from his son. “One beautiful thing about my son and really about people with Down syndrome, they are loving people. He taught me how to love. Because, you know, he’s a very loving person. He’s very forgiving. And he’s a very—just a likable guy.”

His message in the book is simple. “Life does not end when there’s a child that’s born with down syndrome, it’s just beginning. There are some tough times ahead, but everything you need to navigate a crisis if there’s a crisis, it’s already built inside of us.”