Center Provides Parents with Support

SALEM, Oregon -- Faint cries and whimpers are heard from a back bedroom at Louis and Tami Montemayor's Salem home. Their son, Gabriel, awakens from an afternoon nap, partly confused and not yet fully awake.
He curls up in Tami's lap, ready for a bottle.
At 3 years old, he's nonverbal, can't eat solid foods and has sensory and anxiety issues, among other health problems.
"We manage and take care of his needs when he's ready — not at our pace," Louis Montemayor said. "It has to be at his pace with this child. It's concerning, it's hard and it's taken a lot out of us."
Learning how to care for a child with Down syndrome is an ongoing challenge, but the Montemayor family finds strength and support at Juntos Podemos/Together We Can Family Center in northeast Salem. There, they connect with other local families who have children with developmental disabilities.