Why World Down Syndrome Day is important to me.
There are a group of parents who question why we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. So, here is why I celebrate WDSD. This is why I celebrate Down syndrome PERIOD.
If we were living in well any year pre-dating 1951 most people with Down syndrome would be living in institutions for life. Now, instead of coercing parents to send their child away you find doctors coercing parents to terminate a pregnancy that has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. As if that is any different?
We have come a long way as a community but we are not finished. I fully believe that it is a woman’s right to own her body. I do not believe a woman should be given bias information. If we don’t take the time out to recognize our children and their accomplishments then how will parents, who are in the shoes i was in two years ago, know that there is a life after a Down syndrome diagnosis. The abortion statistics are so high because wrong information is given out. Fear and ignorance dictate what doctors tell parents their child will probably never do. My daughter walks. My daughter feeds herself, it is messy but she can do it. Addison is only 20 months old and she can do so much more and will do so much more. Where are these statistics when doctors are striking fear into the hearts of parents who want nothing but the best for their child. There are doctors who say abortion is the best option because there is no quality of life for that child.
We also have to think about it’s not just our kids with Down syndrome we are celebrating. We are celebrating those who fought before us and their children. We work hard for our kids. Sometimes we work so hard we want to give up because we feel like its going no where. There were people before us who fought tooth and nail to make these services available. People who put their everything into giving their child a better life. They didn’t have Early Intervention. They didn’t have feeding therapy. Infants with disabilities didn’t have one on one paraprofessionals. They made this all possible. Our struggles have been made easier because the generations before us gave a dam to fight for it. They deserve our respect. Their children deserve to be celebrated because without their existence in this world, we would not be where we are. We would be in the dark ages of acceptance.
On World Down Syndrome Day and every other day, I do not just celebrate my wild bundle of engery. I celebrate the generations that came before us and the generations that will come after us. One day there will be complete and total acceptance. That will be the day I can say we are where we need to be. Like I’ve said, we have come a long way from institutionalization but our mission is not complete. The world needs to know that our normal is the same as theirs.
This little face is what started my journey.
Her drive to do amazing things is my reason to fight for her.
My little girl does amazing things and I want the world to know.
Plus, she is a total ham who is always willing to strike a pose for the camera.
Sincerely, Mommy formerly known as Preggers
