Siblings

A few years ago when we were still living in the mid-west, a group of families gathered together in a hotel for a weekend of family fun. We were families joined together by the love of our children with Down syndrome who had met on-line and who had become a sort of extended family. At this gathering I met Regan, daughter to Adrienne and sister to Russell. I was struck by her beauty as I watched her lovingly snap photographs of all of our beautiful children. She is a very special young woman and when I look at her, I see Alexander and Helena's future.

Through Regan and other siblings I'm blessed to know, I have come to understand that my kids are lucky to grow up with a sister with an intellectual disability. Lucky? Yes, lucky. For Helena and Alexander, there has been no time without Sophie, without therapies, without Buddy Walks, Special Olympics, doctor appointments, patience, acceptance, and the campaign to educate about the R-word. They know first hand what it means to love someone with differences, though at present they may be too young to comprehend or put this into words.

Thank you Regan. Thank you for sharing your love of your brother in such a beautiful way. You've just uplifted and given hope to more families than you'll ever know.

Please enjoy this video: