Sadly, the world is not kind to people with Down Syndrome and there are lots of misconceptions surrounding this genetic disorder. People tend to look at these people differently and often with discrimination and prejudice. All this, along with the stares they get, may result in undermining their self-confidence.
A father of a loving boy with Down Syndrome wants to change the way these people are perceived by the society and wants to raise awareness of how important they are so everyone should embrace them in their life because they are wonderful souls.
He shares a heartwarming story of how his son is his savior who was by his side during the darkest day of his life.
Jeff Church recalls how his son JJ pulled him from the state of despair and misery without asking any questions, by simply offering his presence and support. And that was more than enough for a father to feel in order to get the strength of moving forward. Frank Somerville, a reporter for KTVU news shared the father’s touching words.
‘”It was long ago… I was at the end of my rope. I had just received a phone call that made everything in life even worse.
I felt my world was collapsing around me. I was lost. And with that one call, I had given up hope.
Too emotionally spent to even stand, I broke down in that big empty home. It was dark, dusty and cold. I cried with the heartache of a child. And all I could hear was my cries echoing back at me.
Then I heard JJ running up the stairs from his room. He found me in my master bedroom on the floor, in the dark curled up against the bed. He knew to keep the lights off. He saw I was inconsolable….”
‘”Instead of asking me what’s wrong like someone else might, JJ rocked me. He sat on the floor next to me and he held me tight. And he rocked me.
And JJ told me: ‘It go be okay. It go be okay. It go be okay. It go be okay’ in perfect rhythm as he rocked me. ‘It go be okay. It go be okay.'”
Jeff hopes everyone will understand how compassionate people with Donw Syndrome can be. They are willing to offer their support and help without the desire to go into details of why someone needs it.
‘”That was a rough night. And JJ got me through it. That night JJ was beyond his years.
JJ has his limitations. He has cognitive delay. He stutters a bit conveying his thoughts.
But when it comes to moments of the heart, they’re compassionate and understanding with no conditions. That makes them genuine and real.
We should all have a little bit of Down Syndrome in us. They’re way nicer people than we are.”
October is Down Syndrome Awareness month in the U.S and it is all about making people familiar with the syndrome, which will hopefully make them more acceptable of these people as well as others who are a bit different.