21 things my son has taught me

 

Caroline Richardson, from Harrington Park, with her son Joshy, 8, who has Down syndrome. She would like to educate people about the condition. Picture: Robert pozo Source: News Corp Australia

by Vera Bertola from MacArthur Chronicle Campbelltown:
1: Every chromosome has two chromosomes. Trisomy 21: on every 21st chromosome it has a third chromosome.
2: No two people with Down syndrome are the same. They have their own personalities.
3. They are not always happy all the time. They can get very sad, angry and frustrated, just like you and I
4. It is very common for people with down syndrome to have a lot of medical conditions and problems. But not all. Joshy is one of the few who don’t have a heart condition, kidney problems or major bowel problems.
5. Developmentally people with Downs can be mild, mild to moderate, moderate to severe. Severe and so on. Joshy is severe. He wouldn’t be able to cope in a unit in a main stream school so he is in a special school.
6. People with Down syndrome can have dual diagnosis. As well as have Down syndrome, they can also have autism, defiance disorders, ADD, ADHD. The list can go on.

7. People with Down syndrome can work in jobs the same as anyone else. Some can drive cars.

10 Things my Child with Down Syndrome has Taught Me

by Bleigh Ahl Garcia from News of Salem County:
It has been 1 year since Tristan was born, and 360 days since I received he news that he has Down Syndrome. As I sit here in amazement at the whirlwind of a year we have had with Tristan in our lives, I just wanted to share a few things I have graciously learned so far in this journey.
1. Always try to look at people through God’s eyes…. if you look with your own eyes, you might miss something.
Having Tristan has taught me to see people for who they really are. I’ve always thought I was pretty good at this because of how I was raised, but I have to admit that I was giving myself way too much credit. After having a child with Down Syndrome, God has softened my heart so much and has given me more compassion for all types of people. I didn’t realize how much I needed it. I no longer am fearful of or uncomfortable around people with developmental disabilities or brain injuries. That fear came from a place of ignorance and misunderstanding. Tristan may have different needs and need a little more attention and care, but raising him as been just as “normal” as raising our son without Down Syndrome. He is a child who needs to eat, sleep, poop and be changed. He smiles when he’s happy, and he cries when he’s not. He has feelings. He has a spirit. His life is precious, and he has a specific purpose and calling. Most of all, he is loved by a God who doesn’t make mistakes. When God looks at him, He is overwhelmed with love. That’s how He sees all of us. My prayer is that I have the ability to look at people and see the value of their spirit first, rather than their disabilities and outward appearance.
2. Celebrate the Small Victories.
I’ve come to realize that every effort that Tristan makes to make a sound or move on his own is a HUGE accomplishment. Have you crawled recently? Like, literally gotten on the floor and army crawled on your belly? Well if you haven’t, just trust me….it hurts. For a child with a developmental delay, a heart defect, low muscle tone, vision problems, and breathing problems… crawling 2 yards is like running a marathon. That is something that most of us ‘normal’ and healty adults would complain about on a daily basis without realizing it. So, we will celebrate every single “milestone” whenever it happens, even if it is 2 years later. Though some victories may seem small to others, they are huge to Tristan….and that’s worth celebrating.
3. Slow Down & Enjoy the Ride.
I have to admit, although we have our struggles, my husband and I could win an olympic medal at getting things done on a schedule. More specifically, healthy meal planning while on the go for a family of four. We

7 Awesome Life Lessons My Son With Down Syndrome Taught Me

by John Simmons from the Huffington Post:
Amy and I had three biological sons when we adopted a 1-month-old little boy with Down syndrome and started taking lessons from him. Jack was fragile. He would require open heart surgery by the time he was 6-months-old.
Jack contracted postoperative pneumonia and it was looking like he might become a part of the 15 percent of children at that time, who didn't make it home after surgeries like his. I still remember his older brothers, aged 6 to 2, standing around that enormous hospital bed looking longingly at a tiny sibling with more wires and tubes than they could count going from his body to the intimidating flashing, beeping and humming medical equipment. Any of us would have done anything to make him well, but there was nothing we could do. As I recalled our five months together, I realized that there were no regrets. That was the first lesson Jack taught me. When death causes a separation between me and anyone I love, I want to have that same feeling. I want to have nothing amiss. If anything has been out of order, I want to have repaired it to the best of my ability.
The next time my son took me to school, he wasn't even in school, yet. Jack didn't walk until he was 3. He potty trained when he was 4. My son didn't progress quickly, but he did progress. If I tried to measure him against his siblings and the rate that they learned, there could only be disappointment. But when we celebrated Jack's accomplishments for what they were to him, and measured them against his own challenges, advancement for him was at least as impressive as it was for any of our other children. I had no idea how important this lesson was until we adopted several more children and eventually learned that some of them suffered from attachment disorders. Jack 101 taught me to allow my children with attachment difficulties the time that they needed to progress. That course also gave me the understanding, that for these children, accomplishments which might have seemed slight to others, could be celebrated by my family as the monuments they truly were.

Life Lessons from Lisa

by Tori Spelling from ediTORIal:

Today I am grateful and honored to bring you a second guest blog from my friend Lisa. As you may remember, her son Blake was born with Down Syndrome, so in honor of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Lisa has so generously shared the next part of her journey with us. The lessons that she has learned over the past year are not limited to those who might have children with special needs. Everything that Lisa has experienced is something that all of us can relate to, and the deeper understanding of motherhood that she can lay claim to I truly admire. Take it away, Lisa… 

Sometimes in life you have to experience things as opposed to relying on words, opinions or “facts” to get the picture.  Growing up I was always one who had to “learn the hard way” and suffer the consequences of my actions to get the lessons, and I am grateful that this is still the case.  A little boy named Blake rocked my world May 13, 2011 when he was born with Down Syndrome (Read our full story HERE). The last 17 months have literally transformed me as a person and a mother. Not only was I blessed with a baby boy who has a “little something extra” in the chromosome department; I have also become part of an amazing community whose foundation is built on the principals of Support, Inclusion, Respect and Love. I feel the true key to change is education and information, and in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month I would like to share five things I have learned in the last year about being a mother of a child with Down Syndrome.