Hello!
Today, October 1st, marks the start of Down Syndrome Awareness Month. For this post, I'd like to take the time to briefly recap this blog's progress, and most importantly thank YOU for taking the time to read through our blog.
Growing up, it always made sense to me that Michael was a little different. My mom would always tell me that Michael has Down Syndrome and that he would be different from other children, and I simply understood. I understood that Michael may have different needs than other people, that he couldn't talk to me, that he would always need extra attention.
And yet, once I began school at UCSD, there were still students who would ask me "what's Down Syndrome?" Three years ago I couldn't believe that someone attending such a high-level institution that had no idea what would result from having an extra chromosome. I'm forever grateful for that experience, because it made me realize that something needs to change. Not just increasing awareness regarding Down Syndrome, but to ameliorate the stigma behind the special needs community. And with that, I created this blog. I'm incredibly humbled and appreciative by all of the support that we have received and the incredible people that we have met.
I look forward to expanding this blog and allowing other people to get a glimpse of our story. Whenever you're next to Michael, you can immediately feel his calm, loving presence that's far from judgmental. Michael demonstrates the same affection to everyone, no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. Unless if you're loud and obnoxious (Michael hates noisy things like kids screaming) Michael approaches everyone with the same manner. Although Michael may not be able to speak, he's completely fluent in a more important language-- the language of love. Michael excels at demonstrating his affection towards others, and I know that he's not alone. Experiencing life while living with someone like Michael reminds you to fully appreciate what you've been given in life, and to look at people with a more open perspective.
As always, thank you so much for reading and feel free to leave any questions or comments, or submit a contact form! :)
Today, October 1st, marks the start of Down Syndrome Awareness Month. For this post, I'd like to take the time to briefly recap this blog's progress, and most importantly thank YOU for taking the time to read through our blog.
Growing up, it always made sense to me that Michael was a little different. My mom would always tell me that Michael has Down Syndrome and that he would be different from other children, and I simply understood. I understood that Michael may have different needs than other people, that he couldn't talk to me, that he would always need extra attention.
And yet, once I began school at UCSD, there were still students who would ask me "what's Down Syndrome?" Three years ago I couldn't believe that someone attending such a high-level institution that had no idea what would result from having an extra chromosome. I'm forever grateful for that experience, because it made me realize that something needs to change. Not just increasing awareness regarding Down Syndrome, but to ameliorate the stigma behind the special needs community. And with that, I created this blog. I'm incredibly humbled and appreciative by all of the support that we have received and the incredible people that we have met.
I look forward to expanding this blog and allowing other people to get a glimpse of our story. Whenever you're next to Michael, you can immediately feel his calm, loving presence that's far from judgmental. Michael demonstrates the same affection to everyone, no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. Unless if you're loud and obnoxious (Michael hates noisy things like kids screaming) Michael approaches everyone with the same manner. Although Michael may not be able to speak, he's completely fluent in a more important language-- the language of love. Michael excels at demonstrating his affection towards others, and I know that he's not alone. Experiencing life while living with someone like Michael reminds you to fully appreciate what you've been given in life, and to look at people with a more open perspective.
As always, thank you so much for reading and feel free to leave any questions or comments, or submit a contact form! :)