Gretchen Conway

Our daughter, Gretchen, is almost 8-years old and while our road has had its bumps; we would never change the fact that she has Down syndrome.  I wish things were easier for her, but she is hands down the best thing that has happened to our family and friends.  She has taught us to not sweat the small stuff, to appreciate even the smallest accomplishments and just about anything can be funny.  Our other daughters have incredible empathy for others and we are all better people for having Gretchen in our lives.  When Gretchen was born, I really didn't know what to expect.  Today we have conversations that I never could have imagined.  

 She is the first person with Down syndrome to attend our local catholic school with her sisters and she absolutely holding her own.  My dad just attended Grandparents Day with her and said she was a rock star in that everyone knows her.  All the kids watch out for her and the other 26 kids in her class have learned as much from her as she has learned from them.  She is constantly exceeding our expectations.  She is reading at grade level, doing addition and subtraction, and is always telling me things she has learned that I never thought she would. She is on a typical swim team and for a couple minutes while she is racing she doesn't have Down syndrome because of the goggles.  When she takes them off, there isn't a dry eye in the house. Her coach, knowing she wouldn't get a ribbon, bought her a medal to celebrate her first swim meet.  She was so proud of it, she slept with it and wore it to school the next day where I had to explain to her friends why she got a medal and they didn't.  Our hopes for her are the same as for our other two girls. We hope they live happy, healthy productive lives and visit their parents a lot.

My advice to expectant parents is never lower your expectations.  It may take you longer to get there, but it will make your arrival even more sweet.  Always listen to your gut.  You know your child better than any "professional".  Don't let them tell you where your child will learn the best.  Don't read the books of all the things that could medically happen to your child.  They don't even write books about all the things that might happen to a "typically developing" child.  They are a child first; just love them like one.  Take them everywhere.  It is your responsibility to educate others about Down syndrome.  Gretchen constantly tells people about Down syndrome with her words and her actions.  She is constantly showing people she is more alike than different from her peers.  Life is a gift; embrace and enjoy it.