Bye 1

A Family Blessed with Down Syndrome Victoria Bye Special Education 21 October 2013

Bye 2 isa and Da!id ha!e a wonder"ul "amily# $hey lo!e to spend time to%ether on the la&e' ta&e "amily campin% trips' and watch their &ids play so"tball and baseball# $hey en(oy holidays' special e!ents' and spontaneous %atherin%s with their e)tended "amily and "riends# Family has always been important to isa and Da!id' but their son Ben has tau%ht them to lo!e and cherish "amily li&e they could ha!e ne!er ima%ined# Ben lo!es to "ish' ride on boats' collect pencils' watch his brother play baseball and his sister play so"tball' play baseball' and dance# *e lo!es his "amily more than anythin% in the world' and he +uotes himsel" as bein% his brother and sister,s bi%%est baseball and so"tball "an# *e would rather spend all day in a boat on the la&e with his "amily then almost anywhere else# *e is always e)cited to %o to church because he lo!es to -tal& about .esus with his "riends#/ *e has a sweet and &ind spirit' always tryin% to help other people# Ben is an incredible twenty year old role model "or anyone stri!in% to li!e li"e to "ullest and lo!e others# Ben also happens to ha!e down syndrome# Ben was dia%nosed with down syndrome about thirty minutes a"ter birth# isa and Da!id were &new somethin% was wron% when Ben was immediately ta&en out o" the room a"ter birth and ne!er brou%ht bac& to them# $heir pediatrician came in an hour later and in"ormed them that Ben had down syndrome and they would not be able to see him that day# $hey were de!astated# $hey had ne!er dreamed o" ha!in% a baby with a disability' and had been told two wee&s prior that they were e)pected to ha!e a healthy baby# isa and Da!id were depressed and wonderin% what they had done wron%# $hey put a si%n on isa,s door re+uestin% no !isitors and spent the ne)t twenty0"our hours mournin% the loss o" the son they thou%ht they would ha!e# isa admits that she wished at one point they had ne!er %otten pre%nant and' "or a "ew minutes' had no desire to see the baby# $hey were "inally ta&en to see Ben in the neonatal intensi!e care unit about a day

Bye 3 and a hal" a"ter Ben was born# isa and Da!id -lo!ed Ben "rom the moment they laid eyes on him#/ Ben was layin% in the crib with multiple tubes comin% "rom his body' but his parents reali1ed the %reat blessin% and responsibility 2od had %i!en them# i"e with Ben has not always been easy' but his parents cannot ima%ine it any other way# $hey be%an the (ourney that day in hospital and disco!ered that they had not done anythin% to ma&e Ben sic&# -*e had been blessed with/ and e)tra copy o" the twenty0"irst chromosome# $hey be%an to learn that the dia%nosis could mean more than mental disabilities and physical abnormalities# $he doctors were concerned about his heart and lun% "unction on a lon%0term basis# $han&"ully' at twenty years old' Ben has not had any ma(or lun% or heart issues# *e can become !ery winded and tired a"ter runnin% around' but this is the only symptom in re%ards to his heart and lun%s# isa does not &now what the "uture will hold medically "or Ben' but she &nows that they ha!e been blessed so "ar and she is trustin% 2od with the rest o" his li"e# isa and Da!id ha!e done their best to pro!ide e!erythin% Ben needs# $hey ta&e the ad!ice o" doctors' wor& with him on schoolwor& at home' help him ha!e a normal li"e' and treat him li&e a normal human bein%# $hey "ound a school "or Ben and his youn%er brother that would allow Ben to %o throu%h school with his brother# *e has an aid in the classroom durin% core0sub(ect instruction' but %oes throu%hout the school day li&e all the other hi%h0schoolers# Ben will "inish hi%h school with a certi"icate o" completion in 3ay# Ob!iously isa and Da!id treat Ben a little di""erent "rom his brother and sister in some re%ards' howe!er' isa and Da!id always re+uest that he is treated as similar as possible to other people around him# $hey "ully belie!e that Ben has the ability to be hi%h0"unctionin% and contribute to society# 4n "act' a local diner has a%reed to hire Ben as a host in 3ay# Ben also has the opportunity to play baseball' a sport he has wanted to

Bye 5 play "or so lon%' throu%h the 3iracle ea%ue# isa and Da!id are than&"ul "or the compassionate way most people respond to Ben and the many blessin%s pro!ided throu%hout their community# $he "amily,s %reatest stru%%le surrounds Ben,s inability to communicate when he is in physical pain or discom"ort# For e)ample' last year he re"used to eat "or "our days strai%ht' and the doctors could not "i%ure out what was wron%# isa be%an ta&in% him to e!eryone o" his doctors' includin% the dentist' to try to determine the issue# 4t turned out that Ben had two wisdom teeth brea&in% throu%h his %ums# $hey remo!ed his wisdom teeth' and he was bac& to normal a wee& later# $his is one o" many situations when Ben has not been able to e""ecti!ely communicate discom"ort to his parents# $his worries isa because she &nows bi%%er medical issues will come as Ben %ets older and is scared she will not "ind out in time to help him# 4" the "amily recei!ed more ser!ices' isa would want it to be communication support and ad!ice# $he hardest part "or isa o" ha!in% a son with down syndrome is ha!in% to see people stare at him and the lau%hs he sometimes recei!es "rom children in public# isa would lo!e to see more parents and teachers educatin% their children about indi!iduals with disabilities and emphasi1in% the "act that people with special needs are still people and deser!e to be treated with the same lo!e' respect' and di%nty# She belie!es her dau%hter and son learned a lot about how to lo!e and ta&e care o" people throu%h %rowin% up with Ben# $hey now both !alue those people many would consider -the least o" these/ and lo!e people no matter how they loo&' tal&' or act# S*e is proud o" her children "or "i%htin% "or the -Bens/ o" the world# isa and Da!id ha!e recei!ed so many blessin%s and learned so much throu%h Ben,s li"e# $hey ha!e learned the importance o" treasurin% e!eryday because they &now Ben,s li"e could become complicated by medical issues at any point# $he whole "amily has learned what it means to ha!e true (oy' %o with the "low' and not sweat the small stu""# 3ost o" all' they ha!e seen and

Bye 6 e)perienced unconditional lo!e throu%h the way Ben interacts with e!eryone' %i!in% lo!e and (oy to all# $his "amily truly is blessed with down syndrome#

7All +uotes are "rom isa# 7All names ha!e been chan%ed#