At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
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At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
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Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
#2What a fantastic read. Tears in my eyes.
Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
#3In 2006 I worked for six weeks in a residential home for people with disabilities - some had Down Syndrome.
Even though the work was stressful & I've had many jobs since, I still remember each resident so clearly. I don't know why really... they've always stayed in my mind.
There was one man in his 60s with Down Syndrome and he did the same routine, slowly each day... but so unhurried, and present... it took him an hour to eat his lunch... He kind of haunts me to this day because I'm always a bit frantic, rushing...
But definitely spending time with people with disabilites opens another layer on life (although it can so hard for the parents/family caring for people with profound disabilities).
Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
#4'Campeones' (Champions), directed by Javier Fesser in 2018, is a beautiful movie inspired by 'Aderes' team in Burjassot (Valencia, Spain), a team created with people with intellectual disabilities, some of them with Down Syndrome.
Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
#5The documentary The Crash Reel is about a snowboarder who gets a traumatic brain injury, but the comments of one of his brothers (who has Down’s syndrome) on his life and on his family form part of it - really interesting to watch
Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
#6I think that Down Syndrome is a very misunderstood syndrome. The way it makes you look dominates how people think about you, without even knowing you.
I interact with someone online who has Down Syndrome. It really changed my understanding of it. He can articulate very well when writing, and has a deep passion and understanding on some topics we discuss (like music...). If he hadn't of told me he had Down Syndrome I never would have guessed.
This article points out the rather morbid fact that 90% of down syndrome pregnancies are aborted. I still remember the conversation with the obstetrician regarding my first child, who told us we should screen the pregnancy and implied we should abort if there were any major defects (including down syndrome). I guess this is standard practice, which is kind of sad, since those with Down Syndrome can live fulfilling lives.
Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
#7I am curious: is there anyone here on HN who has Down's syndrome?
Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
#8Based on her in utero sonar scans, and her proportional leg measurements, our youngest, Grace, was flagged to us as perhaps going to be born with Down's Syndrome.
That wasn't the case in the end, but at the time it was presented as an earth-shattering possibility to us. That was tough, but we'd resolved long before to not let info like this affect anything, other than needing to make different life decisions, and to be honest she's so amazing that I can't imagine viewing her differently if she did have it.
Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
#9In 2006 I worked for six weeks in a residential home for people with disabilities - some had Down Syndrome. Even though the work was stressful & I've had many jobs since, I still remember each resident so clearly. I don't know why really... they've always stayed in my mind. There was one man in his 60s with Down Syndrome and he did the same routine, slowly each day... but so unhurried, and present... it took him an h…
Are you frantic because of a specific reason?
I was frantic when I was the sole breadwinner for my family, my brother is disabled and my grandmother had alzheimer's. As things improved with my family, I was able to move us into a larger home and I was able to relax a bit more.
Re: At Home with Down Syndrome (2008)
#10In 2006 I worked for six weeks in a residential home for people with disabilities - some had Down Syndrome. Even though the work was stressful & I've had many jobs since, I still remember each resident so clearly. I don't know why really... they've always stayed in my mind. There was one man in his 60s with Down Syndrome and he did the same routine, slowly each day... but so unhurried, and present... it took him an h…
Are you frantic because of a specific reason? I was frantic when I was the sole breadwinner for my family, my brother is disabled and my grandmother had alzheimer's. As things improved with my family, I was able to move us into a larger home and I was able to relax a bit more.
Respect to you sir.