Announcing the Thomas S. Vander Woude Memorial Fund for Down Syndrome Research

There is no greater love…

The Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA recently received a gift from Angels in Disguise to launch a research fund in memory of Thomas S. Vander Woude. Mr. Vander Woude was a devoted husband and the father of 7 sons, one of whom, Joseph, or “Josie,” was born with Down syndrome.

On September 8, 2008, Mr. Vander Woude and Josie, then 20, were working together on the family farm in Virginia when Josie fell through the metal plate covering the farm’s septic tank. Without a thought for his own safety, Mr. Vander Woude jumped into the 8-foot deep tank after his son and was holding him up above the sewage to be rescued when he himself drowned. Josie miraculously survived after recovering in the hospital from a coma and double pneumonia, but the family lost a heroic man, well-known for his deep love and generosity, and whose devotion to his family was constant to the very end.

The Jerome Lejeune Foundation is honored to have the opportunity to create this memorial to the heroic sacrifice of Thomas S. Vander Woude. We have created a perpetual fund in his memory to support research into treatments to improve the lives of those living with Down syndrome.

When many parents either refuse or question giving birth to a child who has been prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome, Mr. Vander Woude’s sacrifice shows how deep a parent’s love can be for a child with a disability. There is indeed no greater love than for a father to give his own life to save his son.

To make a gift, visit www.lejeuneusa.org/vander-woude-memorial, or send checks to:

The Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA
6397 Drexel Rd
Philadelphia, PA 19151

Please write “VANDER WOUDE” on the memo line of the check.

The following video was created by the Family Project preserve the memory of Tom Vander Woude's heroic sacrifice.