Why
My 7 year old son and I went to the local zoo on a beautiful summer afternoon. It was his first time, so I enjoyed watching every expression on his face. When we fed the giraffes, his eyes got real big. I can only imagine what he was thinking, because he has down syndrome and doesn’t communicate real well.
After watching the hippos playing in the water, my son and I started to make our way towards the exit. I noticed a group of first graders and their parents walking towards us. One of them, a cute little girl, approached my son and stared at him for almost 5 seconds. She then looked at me and said "What’s wrong with him?". "Nothing’s wrong with him." I said. She looked at him again and said "What’s wrong with his eyes?". Caught off guard by the questions and becoming a little offended, I said "Nothing is wrong with his eyes.". In the 7 years that I’ve been learning and living with my down syndrome son, I never dealt with a situation like this and probably acted a harshly to a confused little girl.
Her parent or teacher (I’m not sure which) suddenly noticed that she wasn’t with the rest of the group and walked over to us. She then took the girl by her hand and said "Get away from that boy.".
Why?
Author : Unknown
Jordan's Story
By Diane Dumas (member of CSDSA)
Marriage is a life, a love, a bond.
Trying to have children, someone to carry on.
So it all begins we thought a new life,
a new person, a new generation to take over.
To take our name, our features, our love...
We will be teachers!
Giving blood and taking tests is a normal part of pregnancy.
What is an Alpha Fetal Protein Test?
AFP for short is a doctor's term to say that more tests must be run right away.
Amniocentesis is the next painful way to confirm a birth defect verdict in an uncaring way.
Doctor tried to be supportive and stated right away,
there are measures that can be done with a child soon to be born this way.
The news was hard to hear for a parent's first time pride.
It's a boy with Down syndrome, those words crushing us inside.
The news of his sex is a surprise kept for birth,
a choice we did not get, more of doctors caring words.
We felt alone with a sickening inside.
What has just occured? Will this feeling ever subside?
Denial, guilt, anger, fear and finally acceptance.
Five steps we had to go through, a great news to bear.
And then one day when he was born,
we looked upon him with loving eyes.
Our beautiful little boy, what a wonderful surprise.
All we saw was us in him.
His eyes, his hair, his hands, his feet.
He was so special, thank you God for Jordan's little heartbeat.
God gave him to us with special care.
He knew that we would love Jordan, more than life so dear.
And as I look upon that day when we learned of Jordan's disability,
I can truly say, that I was ashamed to have ever felt that way.
Now I know that God sent us an angel from heaven up above.
A beautiful little boy made with lots of love.
To watch over us and keep us strong,
a place in heaven we will belong.
