Sunday, 23 April 2017
Blog 85 - Be Kind
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Blog 84 - Ed Sheeran's Video on Being Weird
But today I have a new appreciation of Ed. Why? Because the following video was posted on my Facebook page today. My friends all know my passion for advocacy and spreading awareness of difference and diversity, so I knew it must have something in it that would fit within my agenda. I wondered what. I was definitely curious.
What I heard Ed say surprised me. In particular there were things about Ed that I had never heard reported in the media before that he talked about: 1) He was born with a port-wine stain birthmark on his face and 2) He had a stutter.
By Ed telling his story, he will touch many more hearts in the world, not just because of his music. It is awesome to see people who are looked at as being influences in the world, saying it's cool to be quirky and not to lose your individuality.
I urge you to watch the video too.
https://www.facebook.com/goalcast/videos/1307985059278681/
Go Ed! Keep telling the world that it's okay to be different!
Monday, 20 March 2017
Blog 83 - World Down Syndrome Day 2017
This blog has been sitting dormant, as my day-to-day life has gone on by...writing, studying, speaking engagements, being a wife and mother. You know how it is. Even though I've been writing an awful lot, I must admit I didn't think this blog needed updating. My children are growing up, I'm not having the same struggles as I was when they were younger, so my other blog has received my sole attention, http://jennywoolsey.blogspot.com.au/. But in fact that's wrong. In actual fact I do have many things I need to say - they've been accumulating into a giant heap of wriggling issues in my brain. So today being World Down Syndrome Day, I am going to start.
I wrote an article for Down Syndrome Australia for WDSD. It was featured today on their website and Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/DownSyndromeAustralia/
This was the final article out of 21 which have been shared to the world from families and individuals. These articles are all worth reading, and I think they show extremely well that people who are born with Down syndrome, are leading ordinary lives which are fulfilling and exciting. Being born with Down syndrome, is not a negative thing, as doctors and the medical fraternity make it out to be. My blinded ignorant eyes were opened when I ventured into this world - a world I was terrified of - a world that society had told me was going to be awful and why would I want to go into it?
I am here now to stand tall and firm, and tell society off, for making judgements about the value of a human life. My daughter is a joy and IS valuable. She is just like any other child I know - she sings and plays and reads and writes and tells jokes and swims... My daughter has dreams, and hopes and plans for her future. She wants to get a job, get married and drive a car. All normal things. Am I going to stop her because she may be a bit slower than the average child? No way! I am going to support her and help her to achieve to her full potential, just like I do for her sister and brother.
So for today I will end here with my article, the media release from Down Syndrome Australia and a video created for World Down Syndrome Day #notspecialneeds:
The paediatrician at her birth had directed us to the geneticist who we were seeing due to another family genetic syndrome. The wait to hear what the blood test revealed was excruciating. My reaction to the ‘positive to Trisomy 21’ news was horrific. I didn’t want to look at my baby or touch my baby. I spiralled down into post-natal depression and I was filled with fear. I couldn’t see a bright future for my daughter, and the “I’m sorry” from well-meaning friends didn’t help the situation.
My strong feelings made no sense to me. I knew absolutely no one with Down syndrome. Somehow, somewhere during my life, I had picked up that Down syndrome was a really terrible thing for my child to be born with, and for my family to have to deal with.
Now, nine years on, I wish I could go back in time and talk to the terrified mummy I was. I would softly tell myself – it is going to be okay. There is nothing to be scared of. Your daughter will develop her milestones, she will talk and sing, she will have friends, she will love swimming, she will go to mainstream school and be involved in extra-curricular activities, she will have her own personality and talents, she will have a vivid imagination, she will learn independent life skills, and she will bring much joy to your family and others around you. You will love her, cry over her achievements, advocate for her fiercely and she will be a light in the world. It will not always be easy, but that is a typical life. Your beautiful daughter will show the world that having Down syndrome is just one part of her, it does not define her.
21 March 2017
World Down Syndrome Day, the 21st of March, is an international awareness day to promote a better understanding of Down syndrome, the vital and active role that people with Down syndrome play in our communities and the actions needed to be taken to ensure that people with Down syndrome are able to realise their fundamental human rights. Down Syndrome Australia welcomes the opportunity to be part of this global celebration of people with Down syndrome and effort to combat stigma and misunderstanding about Down syndrome.
This year the theme for World Down Syndrome Day is “My Voice, My Community.” As part of our celebrations for this day, Down Syndrome Australia with the support of the Parliamentary Friends of Down Syndrome are hosting a World Down Syndrome Day morning tea at Parliament House on 22 March. This annual event is an opportunity to bring together politicians, key stakeholders and people with Down syndrome and their families to celebrate this important day.
This year, we are pleased that we have two people with Down syndrome, our South Australian Member Ambassadors, James White and Zoe Kyriazopoulos who will be speaking at the event. We will also be joined by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Alastair McEwin who will talk about the importance of community understanding of intellectual disabilities and the barriers to inclusion faced by people with Down Syndrome.
This event will also be an opportunity to showcase the latest international awareness film produced by CoorDown. This film uses humour to address serious issues around the use of the terminology “special needs” and highlights that the fundamental needs of people with Down syndrome are the same as everyone else- the need for education, employment, access to health care, and the community.
Down Syndrome Australia CEO, Dr Ellen Skladzien said “It is vitally important that we address the stigma and lack of community understanding about Down syndrome. A recent survey we conducted of more than 800 families of people with Down syndrome found that approximately a third of people with Down syndrome and their families had been discouraged from taking part in everyday community activities or education because of their disability.”
World Down Syndrome Day is an opportunity to dispel the myths that surround intellectual disability and to highlight the active potential of people with Down syndrome. As part of our countdown to World Down Syndrome Day, Down Syndrome Australia has profiled 21 people over 21 days to highlight the many different ways that people with Down syndrome are involved in their community. These stories can be found at: http://www.downsyndrome.org.au/news/wdsd/21_stories.html.
I wrote an article for Down Syndrome Australia for WDSD. It was featured today on their website and Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/DownSyndromeAustralia/
This was the final article out of 21 which have been shared to the world from families and individuals. These articles are all worth reading, and I think they show extremely well that people who are born with Down syndrome, are leading ordinary lives which are fulfilling and exciting. Being born with Down syndrome, is not a negative thing, as doctors and the medical fraternity make it out to be. My blinded ignorant eyes were opened when I ventured into this world - a world I was terrified of - a world that society had told me was going to be awful and why would I want to go into it?
I am here now to stand tall and firm, and tell society off, for making judgements about the value of a human life. My daughter is a joy and IS valuable. She is just like any other child I know - she sings and plays and reads and writes and tells jokes and swims... My daughter has dreams, and hopes and plans for her future. She wants to get a job, get married and drive a car. All normal things. Am I going to stop her because she may be a bit slower than the average child? No way! I am going to support her and help her to achieve to her full potential, just like I do for her sister and brother.
So for today I will end here with my article, the media release from Down Syndrome Australia and a video created for World Down Syndrome Day #notspecialneeds:
Down Syndrome Doesn’t Define You
“I think your baby has Down syndrome. Why haven’t you been told already?” said the frank geneticist when we took our one-month-old daughter for diagnosis. Shock, like a cattle prod slammed to my forehead, shot through me. The vision of her slanted eyes I had noticed when she was born, zoomed around my brain. I felt numb. I had known there was something not quite right with Jessica – she slept way too much and had feeding problems – but no one we had seen for help had mentioned Down syndrome.The paediatrician at her birth had directed us to the geneticist who we were seeing due to another family genetic syndrome. The wait to hear what the blood test revealed was excruciating. My reaction to the ‘positive to Trisomy 21’ news was horrific. I didn’t want to look at my baby or touch my baby. I spiralled down into post-natal depression and I was filled with fear. I couldn’t see a bright future for my daughter, and the “I’m sorry” from well-meaning friends didn’t help the situation.
My strong feelings made no sense to me. I knew absolutely no one with Down syndrome. Somehow, somewhere during my life, I had picked up that Down syndrome was a really terrible thing for my child to be born with, and for my family to have to deal with.
Now, nine years on, I wish I could go back in time and talk to the terrified mummy I was. I would softly tell myself – it is going to be okay. There is nothing to be scared of. Your daughter will develop her milestones, she will talk and sing, she will have friends, she will love swimming, she will go to mainstream school and be involved in extra-curricular activities, she will have her own personality and talents, she will have a vivid imagination, she will learn independent life skills, and she will bring much joy to your family and others around you. You will love her, cry over her achievements, advocate for her fiercely and she will be a light in the world. It will not always be easy, but that is a typical life. Your beautiful daughter will show the world that having Down syndrome is just one part of her, it does not define her.
#World Down Syndrome Day 2017 – World Down Syndrome Day 2017
MEDIA RELEASE:21 March 2017
World Down Syndrome Day, the 21st of March, is an international awareness day to promote a better understanding of Down syndrome, the vital and active role that people with Down syndrome play in our communities and the actions needed to be taken to ensure that people with Down syndrome are able to realise their fundamental human rights. Down Syndrome Australia welcomes the opportunity to be part of this global celebration of people with Down syndrome and effort to combat stigma and misunderstanding about Down syndrome.
This year the theme for World Down Syndrome Day is “My Voice, My Community.” As part of our celebrations for this day, Down Syndrome Australia with the support of the Parliamentary Friends of Down Syndrome are hosting a World Down Syndrome Day morning tea at Parliament House on 22 March. This annual event is an opportunity to bring together politicians, key stakeholders and people with Down syndrome and their families to celebrate this important day.
This year, we are pleased that we have two people with Down syndrome, our South Australian Member Ambassadors, James White and Zoe Kyriazopoulos who will be speaking at the event. We will also be joined by Disability Discrimination Commissioner Alastair McEwin who will talk about the importance of community understanding of intellectual disabilities and the barriers to inclusion faced by people with Down Syndrome.
This event will also be an opportunity to showcase the latest international awareness film produced by CoorDown. This film uses humour to address serious issues around the use of the terminology “special needs” and highlights that the fundamental needs of people with Down syndrome are the same as everyone else- the need for education, employment, access to health care, and the community.
Down Syndrome Australia CEO, Dr Ellen Skladzien said “It is vitally important that we address the stigma and lack of community understanding about Down syndrome. A recent survey we conducted of more than 800 families of people with Down syndrome found that approximately a third of people with Down syndrome and their families had been discouraged from taking part in everyday community activities or education because of their disability.”
World Down Syndrome Day is an opportunity to dispel the myths that surround intellectual disability and to highlight the active potential of people with Down syndrome. As part of our countdown to World Down Syndrome Day, Down Syndrome Australia has profiled 21 people over 21 days to highlight the many different ways that people with Down syndrome are involved in their community. These stories can be found at: http://www.downsyndrome.org.au/news/wdsd/21_stories.html.
NOT SPECIAL NEEDS | March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day | #NotSpecialNeeds by CoorDown
Happy World Down Syndrome Day. :)
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Blog 82 - MY NEW CHILDREN'S NOVEL - RIDE HIGH PINEAPPLE
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Ride High Pineapple Beats the
Bully and Faces Up
BRISBANE,
June 12 – Children’s author, Jenny Woolsey, is pleased to announce the release
of her debut middle grade novel, Ride High Pineapple.
This
gutsy contemporary realism novel, is a must read for any child or teenager.
Ride High Pineapple is written through the honest eyes of a teenager born with
a rare craniofacial syndrome. She also suffers from severe anxiety. Written as
a journal, the story deals with critical childhood issues; bullying,
difference, mental illness, friendship ups and downs and young love. It also
shows how one can find self-empowerment through sport.
The story
has been endorsed by the Children’s Craniofacial Association in the USA.
Adolescence is a tough gig, but Issy Burgess has a
few added challenges—facial difference, anxiety, and a relentless bully.
Issy’s story of confronting her fears and working through her difficulties will
inspire middle grade readers. Kudos to Jenny Woolsey for writing Ride High
Pineapple. It ticks all the boxes: skateboarding, besties, and boys. And it’s
chock-a-block full of hope, insight, and solid strategies for handling bullying
and managing anxiety. A must for school libraries and school counsellors!
-Alison Stegert, School Counsellor & Kidlit Author
About the Author
Jenny Woolsey is a Christian, teacher and blogger. She is an advocate
for inclusion of disabled children, and for people living with facial
differences and mental illnesses. She has a Diploma of Teaching (Primary),
Bachelor of Education, Master of Education (Honours) and a Certificate of
Creative Writing. Jenny lives in Queensland, Australia. She writes from
personal experience and aims to help children with their social and emotional
wellbeing.
Ride High Pineapple is available on Amazon.com as a paperback and ebook.
For more details see www.jennywoolsey.com
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Blog 81 - My new blog: Jenny Woolsey - The ABCs of Life
Hi everyone,
I have started a new blog called Jenny Woolsey - The ABCs of Life.
http://jennywoolsey.blogspot.com.au/
My focus of this blog, is to help, encourage and inspire people with their walk through life. From my own and my family's challenges, failures and achievements, I would like to share some wisdom, in the hope that someone will find it valuable.
Each blog post is a letter of the alphabet. This week's was H is for Happiness. I hope you will support me by reading it and leaving comments.
This blog, Crouzons, Downs and Me...Love and Life, will continue. But as most of the hard stuff medical wise, seems to be over for a while, I probably won't be writing in it as much. It's purpose was primarily to help people going through the same situation.
But I would love a following on my new blog. :)
I have started a new blog called Jenny Woolsey - The ABCs of Life.
http://jennywoolsey.blogspot.com.au/
My focus of this blog, is to help, encourage and inspire people with their walk through life. From my own and my family's challenges, failures and achievements, I would like to share some wisdom, in the hope that someone will find it valuable.
Each blog post is a letter of the alphabet. This week's was H is for Happiness. I hope you will support me by reading it and leaving comments.
This blog, Crouzons, Downs and Me...Love and Life, will continue. But as most of the hard stuff medical wise, seems to be over for a while, I probably won't be writing in it as much. It's purpose was primarily to help people going through the same situation.
But I would love a following on my new blog. :)
Sunday, 18 October 2015
Blog 80 - Just 'doing life', as they say.
My last blog post was in February. Where has the year gone? What have I accomplished? What have my children accomplished?
In a nutshell, many things. Some small, some large. Some achievements have been invisible to others around us, whereas others, such as the children's sporting and academic awards, were recognised by the wider community. My award was for bravery, being nominated by a beautiful friend. A treasure.
This school term is the last one, for primary school, for Nick. Last week I wrote on the calendar all of the end of year celebrations and graduation. Look out for my reflection on that in a month or so. I am unsure as to how I'm going to be feeling.
Crouzon syndrome wise, the year has gone well for Melissa and Nick. The plastic surgeon and eye surgeon consulted about Melissa's astigmatism (turned eye) and deliberated over when it could be corrected. A MRI was performed. The plastic surgeon finally made the decision that he doesn't want to move her eye sockets again. If she needs further surgery later on, he'll use other techniques... The eye surgeon, with this information, decided that, yes, he would operate. But he described her eyes as a 'complicated case' so he would be consulting with others about how to perform the surgery. I guess when you've had your eye sockets and eye muscles moved around it would be classed as 'complicated' and even 'unique'... We are expecting the date to be in 2016. There are no surgeries in Nick's foreseeable future. :)
Medically Jessica is fine. Her heart is functioning well. Earlier in the year, her thyroid level was high but after re-testing had gone back to normal. Academically and with her low muscle tone, she has continued to progress. She stops to smell the roses, as they say, every day. Her love of singing continues. Last term Jessica sang Let It Go in front of the whole school in the Talent Show, and did all the actions perfectly. It's a shame everything can't be taught through song.
Yesterday and today, her topic has been 'veins', and where are our veins and what do they do? There is always a colourful array of topics going around in her mind.
A few months ago Jessica was experiencing a lot of anxiety with going to school. She is mainstreamed. Her reasons were unclear but her headaches and sore tummy were frequent. I became all emotional and wanted to pull her out of school and protect her, but that wouldn't have helped our long term goal for her: To be an active participant of the community. Instead I problem solved. Picking up on words she was repeating, I worked out the sources of stress were the playground, Music and PE lessons. On consultation with the school, she was given alternative places to play if she wished, and I purchased ear muffs for noise. Things have since calmed down.
Running off has basically stopped, though in saying that, we lost her yesterday after Church, when she decided she wanted to go back into the church to play the drums... It is much less stressful to take her out and about.
Jessica is improving slowly in her swimming. Her low muscle tone makes it difficult but she is determined. One day Jess wants to join Swim Club, like Nick has done.
Finally, I am in the best place with my anxiety and depression, that I have ever been in. I am content and at peace. I know how to manage my anxiety and I try really hard to keep my life in balance. My writing has been a wonderful world for me to disappear into, and through writing I have found new friends with a common interest. The pain of leaving teaching, due to my mental illness, is dissolving away. I have found a new purpose for my life. :)
In a nutshell, many things. Some small, some large. Some achievements have been invisible to others around us, whereas others, such as the children's sporting and academic awards, were recognised by the wider community. My award was for bravery, being nominated by a beautiful friend. A treasure.
This school term is the last one, for primary school, for Nick. Last week I wrote on the calendar all of the end of year celebrations and graduation. Look out for my reflection on that in a month or so. I am unsure as to how I'm going to be feeling.
Crouzon syndrome wise, the year has gone well for Melissa and Nick. The plastic surgeon and eye surgeon consulted about Melissa's astigmatism (turned eye) and deliberated over when it could be corrected. A MRI was performed. The plastic surgeon finally made the decision that he doesn't want to move her eye sockets again. If she needs further surgery later on, he'll use other techniques... The eye surgeon, with this information, decided that, yes, he would operate. But he described her eyes as a 'complicated case' so he would be consulting with others about how to perform the surgery. I guess when you've had your eye sockets and eye muscles moved around it would be classed as 'complicated' and even 'unique'... We are expecting the date to be in 2016. There are no surgeries in Nick's foreseeable future. :)
Medically Jessica is fine. Her heart is functioning well. Earlier in the year, her thyroid level was high but after re-testing had gone back to normal. Academically and with her low muscle tone, she has continued to progress. She stops to smell the roses, as they say, every day. Her love of singing continues. Last term Jessica sang Let It Go in front of the whole school in the Talent Show, and did all the actions perfectly. It's a shame everything can't be taught through song.
Yesterday and today, her topic has been 'veins', and where are our veins and what do they do? There is always a colourful array of topics going around in her mind.
A few months ago Jessica was experiencing a lot of anxiety with going to school. She is mainstreamed. Her reasons were unclear but her headaches and sore tummy were frequent. I became all emotional and wanted to pull her out of school and protect her, but that wouldn't have helped our long term goal for her: To be an active participant of the community. Instead I problem solved. Picking up on words she was repeating, I worked out the sources of stress were the playground, Music and PE lessons. On consultation with the school, she was given alternative places to play if she wished, and I purchased ear muffs for noise. Things have since calmed down.
Running off has basically stopped, though in saying that, we lost her yesterday after Church, when she decided she wanted to go back into the church to play the drums... It is much less stressful to take her out and about.
Jessica is improving slowly in her swimming. Her low muscle tone makes it difficult but she is determined. One day Jess wants to join Swim Club, like Nick has done.
Finally, I am in the best place with my anxiety and depression, that I have ever been in. I am content and at peace. I know how to manage my anxiety and I try really hard to keep my life in balance. My writing has been a wonderful world for me to disappear into, and through writing I have found new friends with a common interest. The pain of leaving teaching, due to my mental illness, is dissolving away. I have found a new purpose for my life. :)
Saturday, 7 February 2015
Blog 79 - My Thoughts on Wife Divorcing Dad over Baby Son Being Born With Down syndrome
The above news story has been flying around the television news and social media this week. It is about a wife in Amenia who gave birth to her son who was diagnosed as having Down syndrome. She didn't want to keep the baby but her husband, who was a New Zealand native, wanted to. This led to the wife divorcing him. The devoted father is now raising funds to help him to take care of the little one back in New Zealand.
This story, along with others, which have popped up recently, such as the surrogate parents who left one of their twins - the one who had Down syndrome, back in Thailand with the surrogate mother, make me think about my own reactions when Jessica was born.
I am against invasive prenatal testing, due mainly to the high risk of miscarriage, and the fact that I wouldn't abort a baby. I had blood tests and scans throughout my pregnancy. Because of my 50/50 chance of passing on Crouzon syndrome, that was the main objective of all the testing. Yes Down syndrome was mentioned and looked for, but ruled out. Jessica's eyes were wider apart than normal. No other differences were found. There was nothing pointing to Down syndrome. We went into the birth thinking that the baby had a mild form of Crouzon syndrome or just wide spaced eyes which many people have.
When I held Jessica immediately after the birth I looked at her eyes looking for Crouzons and a chill went through me. I thought I saw Down syndrome. I didn't say anything to anyone about it. I didn't know until later that Joe had thought the same thing, though he didn't have the chill.
During the week in hospital Joe and I would see the obstetrician and paediatrician whispering to each other when they were examining Jessica but nothing was said to us. Upon leaving the ward, the paediatrician queried whether we were taking her to the geneticist which we were in a few weeks time.
Once we got home Jessica began to sleep for hours on end and wouldn't feed. We took her back to the hospital and they showed me how to force feed her. Things didn't seem quite right but still nothing was said.
At four weeks we took Jessica to see the geneticist. I was in love with this baby. I thought she had a mild form of Crouzons, which was disappointing, but I could cope with it.
The geneticist took Jessica, placed her on the examination table and began to move her arms and legs like we had seen the paediatrician doing. She then sat and looked at me and asked, "What do you think the baby has?" I told her, "Crouzons". The geneticist then proceeded to tell Joe and I that she thought Jessica had Down syndrome and she was surprised that no one had diagnosed it.
At the word Down syndrome my memory spiralled back to the birth when I had looked at her little slanted eyes. I had been right!
The geneticist proceeded to tell us about the different types of Down syndrome. It was all a blur. I felt like a block of ice. Surely this wasn't happening!
Finally the geneticist went on to tell us that she could also have Crouzons as it is a different chromosome that is affected. It was all too much to hear.
We took Jess to have bloods taken for the genetic testing. It was on the way home that Joe and I revealed to each other that we had thought she had Down syndrome at the birth. We just hadn't vocalised it.
The results for the Down syndrome would be known the next afternoon. The Crouzons test would take a few months as it had to be sent to Sydney.
At home I fell apart. How could this happen? I already had two children with high medical needs. Why did I now have a child with Down syndrome?
I was angry, I was terrified. I didn't want to look at Jessica. I didn't want to feed her. I didn't want to touch her.
I felt just like that woman in the story above.
I was so shocked at my reaction. It confused me. It revolted me. As a teacher I had taught children with a variety of special needs (no Down syndrome)... so where did this presumption that this was a really bad thing for a baby to be born with, come from? I didn't know anybody with Down syndrome. I didn't know anybody who had a child with Down syndrome... So why did I feel this way? The only conclusion I could come up with, was society told me.
The next afternoon a phone call confirmed what I was praying not to hear. Jessica had Down syndrome and the 'worst' kind, Trisomy 21 where there were three of chromosome 21 in every cell.
There was no counselling. Just a, "I've rung the Down syndrome Association and they will send you a new parent's pack". That was it! Someone from the association was supposed to contact us but we never heard from them.
Joe coped with the news fine. He had a cousin with DS so he was okay with it all. His positivity even made me angry.
I dissolved into a bucket of post-natal depression. I couldn't look at 'normal' babies, particularly those born around the same time Jess was. I was angry. I was mourning. I couldn't even look at the new parent's pack.
I had a real mental battle going on. I had to keep reminding myself that Jess was the same baby who I loved before the diagnosis. Nothing had changed, except she now had a LABEL.
That label meant things.
That label also explained her sleeping and feeding issues. It gave knowledge.
I had to go through the mourning process which took over a year to truly accept what was. This amount of time is normal and in fact the mourning process can take a lot longer for some people.
What had society told me that I should be so scared of?... The intellectual impairment. I had picked up somehow from society, that people who have an intellectual impairment are less than human, that they don't deserve the same rights as people with average or above intelligence. That they won't have a 'good' life.
This is all total rubbish.
Now that Jessica is older, I can say passionately that this is wrong!
Yes she has an intellectual impairment and she has low muscle tone. These two symptoms mean it takes her longer to learn SOME things (notice the word SOME). But Jessica is a little girl. She loves, she cries, she gets angry, she fights with her siblings, she plays, she has her favourite tv shows and pop stars... Jess has an amazing vocab and very good speech. She has an uncanny memory for faces and songs. She loves imaginative play and magic. She loves to swim. Yes Jessica did need to have therapies when she was little but so do many other children. Yes she does need extra help with things but so do many other children. I see life in a different way when I look at it through her eyes. Life is about love and laughter. It is about being carefree and learning at your own pace.
Why children with Down syndrome are on the 'allowed to be aborted' list is beyond me. It reminds me of the genocide of the Jews by Hitler. The Jews weren't perfect so the Nazis tried to eradicate them. People with Down syndrome aren't perfect so they can be eradicated too if the parent so desires.
I could not imagine my life now without Jessica. She is the apple of my eye. Every morning and afternoon she runs to me with a, 'HI MUM', a huge smile and a hug. I feel like a queen and she is my princess. Every day she makes my heart shine. Yes my baby girl has Down syndrome, but she is NOT Down syndrome. She is Jessica first and foremost.
Back to the news story...
I am so glad that the father did not abandon his son, and that people around the world are lending their support. I also pray for the mother who was filled with fear and her society's prejudices. The more of these stories the world hears and cares about, that place value on babies born with Down syndrome, will help to change current attitudes... and that's a good thing!
© 2012 by Jenny Woolsey
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