Happy World Down Syndrome Day

 Happy  World Down Syndrome  day here is something  I wrote  about  LM.  My  friend  with  DS. I wrote this  when  i  was  a junior in high school 

Spending time with LM is like opening a Christmas present and being pleasantly surprised because it was not on your list, but you enjoy it all the same. L M is a year my junior. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. His name might be L but he prefers to be called Michael Jordan. Needless to say, he is a huge basketball fanatic. Surprisingly, LM and I did not meet on a basketball court. We met at Judo class where he is now an orange belt. L an easy-going kid, but that does not mean to say he is always happy. He gets grumpy and angry and he doesn't like to admit his defeat. L lives near my school, but unfortunately for all the students and staff will merely be a name without a face. L will live through the stories and the essay I am about to tell you. But chances are, you will never meet the Michael Jordan of San Mateo. The reason being is that L has to go to our rival school because he has Down Syndrome and attends a special program there. 

The summer before the eighth grade I was invited to the M's house to spend time with L. Although the intention of my visit was to have fun on a summer's day I learned a lot by going to his house. He gave me a quick tour of his house before leading me down to his room that he shared with his brother who is a year my senior. Stacked up along his wall were video boxes. The video boxes took me back to when I was young because there were Disney movies. L had a wide range of selection which ranged from Mulan to Aladin. It looked to me that he had all the collection. "Lets watch Mulan two ." L said bring out the DVD box. I was not so sure about that . I mean I did not want to tell L that my personal collection was gathering dust because I had grown out of them. L did not want to take no for an answer so after playing outside L played the video. As the movie was playing L pointed to Mulan and said " That is my sister. " He proceed to do this and it hit me that L was using his imagination to put himself and his friends inside the movie. At the time I did not think much of the move. I do not remember much of it except LM sat entranced by the story and sang along with the songs. 

LM was thirteen at the time of our play date but yet he still loved watching Disney movies. Some people might just write him off as less capable but mankind can learn a thing or two from him. Mankind's favorite saying is the grass is greener on the other side, whether it is adulthood or a different job or classroom. Humans can learn to enjoy their side of the grass and if you happened to get on the other side it would merely by an unexpected Christmas gift instead of a dream. Adults are always telling little kids that " they are such a big kid" we should not say this because it's impression is that being little is not okay. Instead of growing up being like the 50 meter dash man should slow down to enjoy the sights and sounds of childhood. It is surprising what someone with an intellectual disability can teach you about life.

LM has taught me that it's ok to do whatever it is that makes you happy. Even if it goes against the trends and thoughts of society. LM has taught me that it's ok to be different and that everybody matures differently. Some people might mature faster than others but in the end they do. LM has taught me that a childhood hobby can carry on into teenage years even if it is only for kids. The most important thing that LM has taught me is to not assume that a person is incapable of doing anything. 

Worked all day but

 I did not completely finish  my  project.  I got   exempt.   My   scapegoat is  Facebook   I spend way to much time on it,


 On a  Happy note I   tured  in the essay  portion 

four sided die

  So  today  i had a  lab  about  hereditary,  how   certain  characteristics and  we had  to use a four sided dice and  roll it.  I  did not get a video  of  it  but  it was  tough  for me to pick it up.  I   was able to do it though.  

Happy St Patricks Day

   I wonder if i  were  to  spend the  whole day doing a report while  wearing  green  tomorrow  if  that increases my chance  of  getting a  A.  We  will  see   Happy  St.Patricks day everyone 

Neighbors

    So    yesterday I saw a special needs  bus in our neighborhood.  Now me being  me and   being a disabled advocate and all I wanted to know who lived in the house  so yesterday  on my  way to  my night  class  I asked the neighbor  and  turned  out it was the other house.


 So today   it was  pouring rain   but I took a walk around the block to see   the house  I wondered if  the  kid   has  CP   or something.  I actually was  going to blog and ask  for advice but  then I got home  and   found  that  the door  was  locked  so   I took it as   a  go  ahead for me to check  the  house.


  There were cars outside  so I ding on the doorbell  and   a  cute  girl   answered it she got her  mom   who   had a accent  and spoke another  langue and it turned out that   she has a boy  with  DS    How cool  is that?    So  now     there are three  people   that  I  know of  that have disablties: D and a girl  with Autism  and  this little  boy  with DS  and  me  of course. Do you  have neighbors  with Disabilities?

I MADE

  

 FALL 2011  

      People  have told me that I would not be able to go to college.  I did not know   that I could  do  college as   a  senior.    Now  I  know  I can  do  anything.

Seth's story Part two

 Read Part one  here 

Seth started out in a gait trainer  after  X MASS 2011

It’s been just over five months since we stood in that mental institution and looked at the shell of a little boy, looked into his eyes, trying to find the little boy he was. He’s been home almost four months now, and he is amazing. AMAZING! He is by far the most determined child I’ve ever known. He is motivated. He is learning fast, hitting milestones and catching up at record speed. A child confined to a wheelchair is now in a gait trainer, taking steps. He’s learning self care skills he never got to use at the orphanage, and is preparing to go to school for the first time ever. The biggest difference I see in Seth is the light in his eyes. He is ALIVE! There is no way you cannot laugh when Seth laughs, because you know the cost he’s paid to get to that laugh. You know the days of misery that led him here, to a place where he could find joy, love and a family. My other children agree Seth has brought our family closer, united us in the cause of a child. Our children have watched Seth literally have life breathed into him. They’ve watched him go from a disconnected, scared, institutionalized child to a little boy who loves to play with toys, get into things and explore. He’s inquisitive, curious, and cannot get enough of his newfound freedoms. Our children have embraced Seth with open arms, delighting in his absolute sweetness. Accepting him just as he is, and knowing that healing is a process that could take years to achieve.

HE'S  NOW  IN A WALKER  STARTED  LAST WEEK IN FEBUARY   

               Aside from Seth, the people I feel the most sorry for are Seth’s birth parents. I wonder if they think of him, if they worry about him, wonder what became of him. They had a child in a country that is about 50 years behind the US in healthcare and education. It is extremely hard to have a child with a disability in Ukraine. There is no special ed, no programs to support families. Almost any child with any disability at all will be abandoned in Eastern Europe. I don’t judge them, because I can’t begin to know their reasoning. I wish them peace. I hope one day, they will learn that Seth was saved from the system they gave him up to. To his parents, I would say, “You missed out on a beautiful little boy. He is a light to our family. He has perseverance and strength. His laughter fills a room. His smile is contagious. When you walked away from Seth, you gave up one awesome little boy.”

CP is only one small part of Seth. It doesn’t define him. Seth is defined by his character. He survived something I cannot imagine. For six and a half long years. He survived. And he still smiles. That defines him. His unwillingness to give in, to give up. Seth has blond hair, blue eyes, he’s got double jointed fingers, he loves playing in water, eating yogurt and bananas, and he has CP. He will live a full life, filled with laughter and happiness. He is way bigger than his disability. CP will not

limit him, because he’s survived something way bigger, way messier, way more debilitating than CP.






    PART  THREE  COMES   SOON, AS ALWAYS   BE SURE TO STOP BY  LAURA'S  BLOG