In The Eyes of a Super Sibling https://gigisplayhouse.org/deerfield/2019/10/28/in-the-eyes-of-a-super-sibling-part-two/Part Two!

Finn is lucky enough to not only have an amazing big sister (check out her blog here: https://gigisplayhouse.org/deerfield/2019/10/16/in-the-eyes-of-a-super-sibling/) but two awesome older brothers too! The blog below was written by his oldest brother, Owen!

People often look up to great leaders, great historical figures, or great sports players; I look up to someone who I usually have to physically look down to talk to: my brother Finn. As soon as I learned that Finn was going to have Down syndrome, I secretly wanted him to come home from the hospital a typical kid. But looking back on it now, if he came home typical, in any sense of the word, my whole world be so different, and there is no way that it would be better than it is now. I was originally confused when my Mom told Hannah and I that Finn was going to have Down syndrome, because I didn’t really know what he was going to be able to do and not do. My fear was way off base, because right now the only things that Finn will not be able to do, that I can think off the top of my head are as follows: be a commercial pilot, join the army, and be the President of the United States of America, (something that I would not have wanted him to do, even if he did not have Down syndrome). So pretty much, he can do whatever he wants in his life, and I have no doubt that he will.

I think my Mom was the most nervous for Finn because she was always afraid that he was not going to be able to talk, and then when he started doing that she was worried that he was not going to be able to walk, and then he did that. So far any time that my Mom worries about him not being able to do something, he just crushes it and moves on to the next challenge- it is pretty easy to see that Finn is basically unstoppable. And there is no way that Finn would be as awesome as he is now without my parents, shout out to my Mom and Dad who would do anything for anyone in our family, but have especially fought for Finn and have pushed him to be the best human being that he can be. I know that many people are nervous about learning that they are going to have a child, brother, daughter, cousin, or grandchild that has Down syndrome, I have been there, and so has everyone in our family, but let me tell you, when you meet someone who has Down syndrome, you wish that you had met them earlier, because meeting them opens up your eyes to a whole new world that so many people are missing out on.

Within Finn’s first three years of existence, he has improved this world immensely: he has gotten people to help open up a new GiGi’s Playhouse location, he got his older siblings to join the Special Olympics team, got his sister to help change the world by becoming a physical therapist, has brought immeasurable joy to everyone he meets, especially his therapists, teachers, peers, and his family, and has just been the reason why I try to be the best that I can be day in and day out. In just three years, Finn has changed the world, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will continue to do so.

One extra chromosome might mean cognitive delays, low muscle tone, and a larger gap between their big toe and their next toe, but what doctors don’t tell people, is that that one extra chromosome also means a friendlier smile and a bigger heart (but that has not yet been scientifically proven, so don’t quote me on that).

My name is Owen, and I am the oldest brother of the kind, amazing, happy, helpful, sweet, funny, energetic, curious, and cute Finn. “Disabled” is one of the last words that I would use to describe Finn. I prefer “differently abled” because Down syndrome does not define Finn, it is a mere part of him. At the very least, it has made him that much more impressive and awesome.