Pat – Ava, Missouri – “No one ever expects to give birth to a child with a mental or physical disability, but it happens.”
No one ever expects to give birth to a child with a mental or physical disability, but it happens. Services came to me before I left the hospital with my newborn Down Syndrome son. Therapists came to my house for the first three years of his life. They taught me how to care for my son’s special needs. I speak on behalf of my son who is unable to communicate verbally. I like that my son is accepted in school and is given every opportunity to participate in the same school events as other students. There is a certain pride a parent feels to watch their child on a basketball court whether he is the star player or not. There are still challenges we face as parents as these children reach adulthood. For the next 25 years, I would like to see more opportunities for our special young adults. I’d like to see a bright future offering them “jobs” so they may shine out in the world as they do at home and in their tight knit communities. I urge any new parent with a special needs child to take the help that is available. It will vastly improve quality of life for both the child and caretakers.