This month is Down Syndrome Awareness Month!
On Monday, Barbara from the KZN Down Syndrome Association came to chat to us about how they reach out to the different communities in KZN! What made her talk even more profound was the fact that Barbara has a daughter called Jennifer who is a Downy. Her personal stories really touched me and made my chaotic morning more bearable...here stood a mother before me who did not choose to have a downy child and look where she is at now!...she was being a gigantic support to so many other mothers who find themselves in similar shoes as her. She also added that her husband was her pillar during the tough time and when he accepted the situation she slowly did the same...
So I usually catch a lift with my uncle to varsity but we had our final case presentations the next day and a lot had to still be done so I took my own car...half way to the varsity, the petrol light went on which didn't make me stress because there are tons of garages on the way...only problem was that when I opened my cubby whole to check if I had enough money to fill up...it wasn't there!
So while I was waiting for someone to rescue me, I left my car light on and guess what, Knut, my car didn't want to start!!...Lovely Monday morning.
When I finally got to the lecture I was a little apathetical about being there but Barbara made it all worth it! I felt a little ashamed of the fact that I was moaning about my (what I thought) 'big' problem when really it was nothing at all...My dad's Godson is a Downy. People are often under the impression that having a Downy is a burden for the entire family or that it's because there is something cognitively wrong with the parents...well that is a misconception.
Barbara told us that mothers immediately when they find out that they have given or are carrying a Downy as the famous question "why". "Why me?!" When my dad's godchild was born it was a huge shock to everyone as the other children were perfectly healthy! Now little Heino has become a real blessing to all of us! One gains a whole new perspective when confronted with situations like these that are not planned and that are a little out of the ordinary.
So while I was waiting for someone to rescue me, I left my car light on and guess what, Knut, my car didn't want to start!!...Lovely Monday morning.
When I finally got to the lecture I was a little apathetical about being there but Barbara made it all worth it! I felt a little ashamed of the fact that I was moaning about my (what I thought) 'big' problem when really it was nothing at all...My dad's Godson is a Downy. People are often under the impression that having a Downy is a burden for the entire family or that it's because there is something cognitively wrong with the parents...well that is a misconception.
Barbara told us that mothers immediately when they find out that they have given or are carrying a Downy as the famous question "why". "Why me?!" When my dad's godchild was born it was a huge shock to everyone as the other children were perfectly healthy! Now little Heino has become a real blessing to all of us! One gains a whole new perspective when confronted with situations like these that are not planned and that are a little out of the ordinary.
Then again who wants to live an ordinary life...
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