And then today, this blog post titled "Those with Down Syndrome Are Overcomers" was written/posted by Helen Middlebrook. Helen has been an online inspiration for many years...and what she writes is just so true!
For years, I've been trying to get Deborah to swim. Deborah has Down syndrome, which has compromised her coordination. Since she was little I've looked for any physical activity that makes her use arms and legs together, in order to develop her neurological pathways.
Swimming is one of the best activities for this. It demands the use of arms and legs, without the nagging requirement that a child can walk.
Deborah has always liked to "go swimming." She just doesn't like the water. Any time we go into a pool, she wraps her legs around me like a Velcro chimpanzee. I have to peel her off of me before we can even attempt getting her to move in the water.
A few months ago, I heard about a visiting swimming teacher, John Ruffu (www.swim2johnguam.com), who guarantees he can teach a child how to swim in just 10 minutes a day for 10 days.
Although he's taught nearly 4,000 individuals, and many children with special needs, I thought Deborah might be the kid who would let me cash in on the money-back guarantee. I signed her up.
I'm not getting my money back.
Within minutes of getting in the pool with John, Deborah swam! It was a miracle!
Of course, nearly everything in life is miraculous: Birth. Crawling. Creeping. Walking. Talking. Swimming. It's just these skills happen so easily for most people, we forget how amazing they are.
But when you have a child with Down syndrome, you don't forget. Every day is a reminder of how precious the "normal" things in life are.
I didn't think about developmental milestones much until Deborah came into my life. I didn't think about the complexity of picking up a Cheerio until I had to teach her how to do it.
I didn't think about all the things that must be in place in the brain and body to take that amazing first step until her body failed to put those things in place on its own.
Deborah has taught me how amazing life is, and how amazing kids with Down syndrome are. They are overcomers from the womb.
