After Her Son Benson Spent 13 Weeks in the NICU, Kuna Mom Allison Silsby Now Brings Welcome Baskets to Families Facing a New Down Syndrome Diagnosis

At 20 weeks of pregnancy, Allison Silsby of Kuna, Idaho, learned that her son Benson had Down syndrome. Today, four years later, she is the person who shows up at the door of other families after the same news, carrying a basket of books, a blanket and a toy. Her message to new parents, as she described it to the Idaho Statesman, begins with a simple phrase: “Welcome to the club.”

Benson’s 13 Weeks in the NICU

Silsby holds a degree in elementary special education, so the world of disability services was not unfamiliar. The Statesman reported that the knowledge did little to ease her isolation after Benson was born prematurely and spent 13 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. She said she was “really longing for a connection of some sort,” someone who had been through the same thing and could say what came next.

Benson is 4 now, and the Statesman describes him as happy and easygoing. The family also includes Silsby’s husband, Austin, and their 2-year-old daughter, Brinley.

Parent Diaries has also followed another family’s months in the NICU. For Silsby, the isolation turned into a plan. Later, she called the NICU to offer herself as a resource for parents receiving a Down syndrome diagnosis. According to the Statesman, the department turned down her requests.

What Jack’s Basket Is and Where It Began

She found another route through Jack’s Basket, a nonprofit that describes its baskets as “filled with love, encouragement, and resources for families” celebrating a new baby with Down syndrome. The organization says it has reached more than 15,000 babies across all 50 states and over 70 countries since 2014, and that donor support keeps the baskets available at no cost to families.

The idea came from a family’s own diagnosis. The Star Tribune reported that Carissa and Chris Carroll started Jack’s Basket after their son Jack was born in March 2013 with signs of Down syndrome and the news arrived abruptly, without guidance. When Jack turned one, they visited a family at a local hospital and brought a basket of gifts and resources. Carissa Carroll said she wanted the family to know that their baby “was worthy of celebration.”

The nonprofit also trains the people who deliver diagnoses. On an episode of the CODED: Genetics podcast, Jack’s Basket staff described a free online curriculum for medical providers on delivering unexpected news with compassion, along with hour-long presentations to residency programs, OB/GYN departments and NICU nurses.

The Star Tribune described the group as having grown into a nonprofit based in Arden Hills, Minnesota, with a six-person staff and many volunteers, and said its training curriculum for health care providers is called Communicating Unexpected News. Lauren Talhelm, the organization’s medical education coordinator, who is the parent of a child with Down syndrome and has a sister with the condition, said on the podcast that the team focuses on reaching medical students, residents and genetic counseling students early in their training, with about 25 to 30 provider presentations scheduled this year.

The Statesman said Silsby joined the organization last year and is one of nearly 300 volunteers. She delivers baskets in the valley and calls families who live farther away, with requests routed through the headquarters in Minnesota, which connects each family to the nearest volunteer parent.

A Monthly Support Group for Treasure Valley Moms

Two years ago, before she joined Jack’s Basket, Silsby started a monthly gathering for Treasure Valley mothers of children with Down syndrome, according to the Statesman. The group has no name yet. It has grown to 15 members, including Silsby.

Silsby told the newspaper that grief after a diagnosis is normal and that families do not have to go through it alone. In her telling, it is acceptable to grieve and to feel whatever comes.

She also has concerns about how families are told. The Statesman reported that Silsby believes doctors need better training and resources, that diagnoses are often delivered in a negative way, and that parents are sometimes handed an outdated brochure. A spokesperson for St. Luke’s Boise, Taylor Marschner, did not directly answer questions about those concerns, saying the hospital protects family privacy and that staff “may” share Jack’s Basket with families.

Melissa Vion, education director of Idaho Parents Unlimited, told the Statesman that the organization receives 5 to 10 calls a day from parents who often do not know about available resources or their children’s legal rights. A local group, the Treasure Valley Down Syndrome Association, already exists in the area, separate from Silsby’s gathering.

What New Families Receive and How to Request a Basket

The Statesman said the baskets contain educational books, a baby blanket, a onesie, a toy and information on local and national organizations. Jack’s Basket’s own request page describes the contents as family resources, such as information about Down syndrome organizations and books, plus gifts for the baby including books, a toy and a blanket.

Anyone can request a basket, according to that page, including healthcare providers, parents, family members, friends and Down syndrome organizations. Requests are accepted from the time of diagnosis, prenatal or at birth, up to the baby’s first birthday. After a form is submitted, the team reviews the information and may follow up to confirm details.

Delivery is in person by a trained parent volunteer whenever possible. If that is not available, the basket is shipped to the family’s home. A basket that has not arrived within two weeks is a reason to email [email protected], the page says.

For Silsby, the in-person visit mirrors what she wanted during Benson’s 13 weeks in the NICU: a parent who has lived through a diagnosis, ready to say that grief is normal and that no family has to go through it alone.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: Realistroot – CC0/Wikimedia Commons