World Down Syndrome Day

Today is World Down Syndrome Day because it is 3/21, which represents the extra genetic material on the 21st chromosome.

Recently, my 10-year-old daughter was talking to some kids in her class and told them she has a brother with Down syndrome. They all said how they felt sorry for her and how bad it must be to have a brother with DS.

She responded, "What's there to feel sorry about? My brother is awesome and I love having him as a brother."
n the news, two teen girls have been accused of torturing a young man with an intellectual disability.

Why do people feel sorry for, or worse, mistreat, people with disabilities? Why?

The kids that said this to my daughter should not feel sorry for my son. He is so loved. He is happy. He lives in a safe home, has plenty of food to eat, goes to school, and will be playing baseball on a team next week. He has a wonderful life filled with lots of fun, joy, and laughter.

I think people are still so ignorant about DS, or other disabilities, and they fear what they do not understand. That fear leads to prejudice and can then lead to mistreatment. In the case of the teen girls, it was far worse than mistreatment, it was downright abuse and I hope they will be held accountable for their actions.

World Down Syndrome Day is to help make people aware of DS. I think most people know what DS is, or have at least heard of it, but I think very few understand it. They think it is a curse and a terrible thing. I didn't think much about DS before my son. Honestly, I was terrified of what it would mean to our family when he was born, but I have learned that my fear was totally unfounded.

Yes, things with him are different. It takes him a little longer to do things. So what? Why is it so important to be on a certain time schedule? I've learned to just enjoy the journey with him instead of stressing out over a time schedule. He eventually does everything his siblings do.

He is reading. He knows all of his letters, sounds, numbers. He's learning math. He loves to sing. He can run a computer like nobody's business. He loves music and is very interested in the piano. He likes to make people laugh. He comforts people when they are sad or hurt. He tells me he loves me and gives me kisses.

Down syndrome presents challenges for those who have it, but the biggest challenge is making people aware that those with DS are so much more like them than not. It isn't the DS that limits my son, it's people's attitudes about DS that limit him. People like to put him in a box. I say, get rid of that stupid box and let him be and do whatever he wants. Let him soar. See him as a person, not as a chromosome count.

For our family, we celebrate our son/brother/cousin/uncle. Sure, he has DS, but DS does not define him. Let's celebrate our similarities instead of focusing on our differences.

To me, every child is a gift no matter how he/she is wrapped.

World Down Syndrome Day

Today is World Down Syndrome Day because it is the 21st day of the third month: 3/21, which recognizes the third replication of genetic material on the 21st chromosome.

I've seen lots of photos and posts on Facebook. What I love about the photos is the diversity of the people who live with DS. They have different skin colors, hair colors, eye colors. Different hairstyles and clothing styles. And I think that's the point. People with DS may share a common condition, but that doesn't make them the same. They have likes and dislikes, weaknesses and strengths, talents, dreams, wishes. Just like you. Just like me.

They are more like you and me than not. Yes, they are different in some ways, but is different bad?

My son has a distinct personality. He loves SpongeBob. He loves to jump on the trampoline, run around the house, and play baseball. He loves to play on the iPad. He doesn't like our big, black dog and he doesn't like to draw or paint or do art projects very much. He'll eat most anything, but loves ice cream. He'd eat ice cream for all three meals if I let him. He loves pudding, apple sauce, and string cheese.

He can recite the ABCs, is beginning to read simple books, and can make sentences out of words on index cards. He has a great memory and has a ton of energy all the time. He loves Dr. Seuss books and we read them over and over and over again.

He doesn't use speech much yet, but he can communicate whatever he wants just through facial expressions. pointing, and pantomiming. He uses signs occasionally.

What matters most is that he's happy. And we are so happy to have him in our family. He is such a light. I am so thankful he has been part of my family for seven years. I look forward to watching him grow and learn. I know he will do great things with his life and I am celebrating World Down Syndrome Day in my little part of the world.

World Down Syndrome Day

Today is World Down Syndrome Day. March 21st. 3/21. Trisomy (3) of the 21st chromosome.

Some things I've learned about Down syndrome:

1. It isn't scary
2. It makes me look at things differently
3. Those with DS still have unique personalities and aren't blobs
4. People with DS have talents
5. People with DS can learn, understand, and remember
6. There's still many misconceptions about DS
7. Those of us who love people with DS just want others to accept them for who they are.
8. People with DS don't want to be cured, they want to be loved and respected
9. People with DS aren't happy all the time, they experience a range of emotions
10. Though there are challenges, it's challenging to raise any child

In a perfect world, we'd recognize that those with DS are not the ones that are handicapped. They are not the ones who have the disability. Those of us without DS are truly the ones with the handicap and disability because too often we let things that don't matter get in the way of what's important. We decide we don't like someone because he/she was unkind to us. We hold grudges. We are judgmental. We have conditional love. We can't see past imperfections. We let pride color our decisions. We are selfish and self-centered. We don't want to be around someone who is different. We are too uptight to enjoy life. We don't laugh enough. We don't hug enough. We don't love enough.

Today, let's celebrate those who have that extra chromosome and realize it isn't a bad thing. People with DS can and do offer wonderful things to our society. We need to be willing to see the person inside instead of being distracted by what's on the outside. I have never met anyone who, after taking the time to know someone with DS, regretted knowing that person. I have never met a parent who wished he/she didn't have his/her child with DS.

Here are a few photos of my son who has his own distinct personality. He is full of love and life. He makes us laugh and brings a joy to our home that's indescribable. I am thankful every day that the Lord chose me to be his mom and only hope I can be the kind of mom he deserves.