Tuesday 1 October 2013

The sweet little girl with Down Syndrome.

Bringing my daughter for her dance class and thereafter to the library had became a routine for me every Sunday. yt got her break while I got my chance to go out alone with 小tz. Now that 小tz is older and capable of going toilet on her own, we face less difficulties in getting 小tz to go toilet without yt.

Less doesn't meant no difficulties. I can always guard the entrance of the toilet when 小tz visits the toilet. But... how about me? 

Eat less drink less = Less or no toilet visit lor.

On this faithful and usual Sunday, I was sitting at the back of the library children's section watching 小tz listening attentively to the story told by the librarian. At the side of my eyes, I noticed a little girl looking at my phone held on my hand.

Looking up, I got a shocked. A little girl with Down Syndrome. 

I was shocked not because of the little girl's look. Rather than shocked, I should have said I was pleasantly surprised to notice the little girl with Down Syndrome. Unless I intentionally make a trip to the special school, I hardly see little girls or boys with Down Syndrome for a very very long time.

You see... people, especially children with Down Syndrome are sweet, kind, friendly, warm and cute. Just like the little girl I saw. Once I made eye contact with her, she quickly came close to me, almost leaning on me and watching me while I read my Facebook status updates on my phone. 

The next time you see a person with Down Syndrome, if you are not comfortable to wave or say hello, the least you can do is not to run away from them or give them that weird look.

No, I did not gave her any special attention. It's my usual reaction I gave to little kids who are sweet and well behaved. Saying hello, telling her what I am doing and giving her a high 5.

Having said all the good things about people with Down Syndrome, there are also challenges in raising a child with Down Syndrome. In addition to developmental disability, people with Down Syndrome have intestinal and heart problems. They also face the possibility of developing dementia before the age of 45. With the advancement in medical science to detect Down Syndrome before birth and the proven safe procedure for abortion, it is not surprise to see less kids with Down Syndrome in public. What's more, some parents are worried that their kid may be hurt, or others may be affected by their kids that they chose to keep them at home.

So now you know why I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the little girl. I am equally happy that she have a good and responsible father that decided to bring her out, let her be exposed and learned from the public. It's a difficult decision to make in bringing the little girl to this world. It's a even tougher decision to make to bring her out in public.

The little girl's father deserve my respect. 

I must be a natural magnet to sweet and well behaved kids cause the little girl came to me thrice in less than 15 minutes. Or is it my phone that she likes? Hmm.... Anyway, despite me telling her father it's ok, her father still decided to carry her away when she came to me the third time.

Nope, I did not tell her father about my work. Not only that it was nothing to brag about, I also wanted to show her father that I am ok with her daughter. I wanted very much to contribute towards giving him the confidence to bring her daughter out more often.

Join me...

Aiyo, not for food la. Although it's my favorite.

Join me to treat every person with or without disability as equal citizen of our country.

Thank you.

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