Sometimes when I meet someone new and tell them that my
niece has Down syndrome, the first response some folks give is “Awwww. I’m
sorry.” I really want to say to them “Sorry for what?”
There is such a huge misconception out there that to have
Down syndrome means to have a limited, lacking life; but nothing could be
farther from the truth.
My 10-year-old niece is the happiest, funniest, and most
clever kid I know. It baffles me that some people go as far as aborting an
unborn baby upon discovering it would be born with Down syndrome. That’s an
insult to the millions of people worldwide living with Down syndrome, including
my niece. It’s communicating to them that their life is not worth living. Yet,
already, this little kid has taught me so many life-lessons and has such INCREDIBLE
potential for her future.
So the next time someone responds with “sorry” when they
find about her, I will respond “I’m sorry for YOU because you don’t know how
fantastic it is to have someone that
wonderful in your life.”
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