Randall Hayes Russ (aka "Gooma Ya-Ya")was born April 29, 1959. It wasn’t until he was two months old that his parents found out he was “special”, that he had Down Syndrome.
In 1959, little was known about Down Syndrome. His parents’ doctors recommended they put him in an institution, forget about him, and try to have another baby. They were devastated but resolved to prove the doctors wrong.
In this poignant narrative, a family recounts the memorable stories of life with Randy: Stories of triumph, stories of sorrow, stories of learning, and stories of Love.
With his parents’ dedication and persistence, Randy would defy the experts. He challenged us to teach him and in the process became our teacher.
Welcome to my little hole in the Universe. You won't find anything tremendously usefull here. Just a couple of my favorite stories and a few really bad jokes. Other than that, feel free to explore.