Suzanne Lezotte

Suzanne R. Lezotte graduated from Western Michigan University with a BA in English/Communications. She spent 25 years working in the entertainment tech space as a journalist. Her essay, “Absolutely Positive” (excerpted from her book, “Raising Owen: A Memoir on Motherhood” out October 2023) was an Honorable Mention for Writer’s Digest 2022 contest. She is raising three teenagers, of whom her oldest, Owen, has Down syndrome.

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Raising Owen: An Extra-Ordinary Memoir on Motherhood

Memoir

A powerful memoir about a first-time mother who received an unexpected diagnosis of Down syndrome when her first son was seven days old. The discovery derailed every expectation of motherhood. The fantastic plans she had laid out in her imagination for her perfect child crumbled, and forced her to confront her own beliefs, and to embrace a world of uncertainty. The author shares details of her transformation from complete grief and denial to total acceptance and advocacy for her son, just as he is. She takes the reader on a quest for full inclusion from preschool through high school, with the motto "life will not be a special needs class."

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