From the PBS Newshour, a personal essay by 15-year-old Sydney Ray of Fresno, CA, about the joys and occasional frustrations of living with her brother. Seven-year-old Aaron has Down syndrome, “a genetic condition that affects how the body and brain develop.” Sydney’s article is part of Speak Out, a collection of essays by students around the world. An excerpt:

Many children with Down syndrome never get the chance to shed their light on the world. Joni Eareckson Tada, the founder and CEO of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, said, “over 90% of pregnant women who are given a Down syndrome diagnosis choose to have an abortion.”

This statistic breaks my heart. While children with Down syndrome do require extra time of the parents, the payoff is well worth it. … I am quite sure we are all better off knowing Aaron.

… Sometimes the people around me mock those with special needs. I find this hurtful, since my brother could very well be the person they make fun of one day.

… Many people would get frustrated if they had to live with Aaron everyday. However, for me, I have never known it to be anything but a blessing.

Not everyone can or should have a special needs child in their family, but everyone should be tolerant and polite to the ones they meet. These people mean the world to their family and friends.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 12:05 pm and is filed under Down syndrome, NOT2BEMISSED, abortion, parents, personal stories, prenatal diagnosis, public attitudes, siblings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post