A Place to feel proud

The party was spilling out the front and back doors of our new  Harlem home.   The cold and the drizzle were a welcome relief to those who had built up a sweat dancing in the shoulder to shoulder crowded room that so many New York families touched by Down syndrome have come to think of as a second home.

A new family arrived with 4 boys, 3 of them typically developing, the baby had Down syndrome.  The older ones were dressed up as Michael Jackson, all identical in shiny red pants, red shirts, black ties.  ‘Can we perform our Micheal Jackson dance?’   They managed to clear a space on the crowded dance floor and become one of the evenings highlights.

Everyone needs a place to be proud of their family, their  talents, their friends and of the things that make them special and unique.

My three year old son was born with an extra chromosome.  One generation ago, he would have been institutionalized, or at least hidden from view.  Today he is a source of pride for his brother, his family and all who get to know the things that make him special and unique.  It’s not only Down syndrome – but Down syndrome is a part of what makes him who he is. For the first time in the history of New York City, families like mine have that special place at GiGi’s Playhouse, a Down Syndrome Awareness Center.

Everyone needs a place to dream of a bright future.  Everyone needs the tools to make that bright future happen.   I have a typically developing 6 year old son.  When I tell friends that he wants to be the President of the United States, people say, ‘Good for him’.  But when I mention that I’d like my three year old to go to college, people say, “I guess you need to be realistic”.

When Noah was born, I thought I had to give up all the dreams that make parenting delightful.  I thought I had to be realistic.  GiGi’s Playhouse gave me permission to be proud; it gave me a place to celebrate the things that make my family stand out; it gave me the tools to cultivate what had seemed like an impossible dream, and the friends who believe as much as I do that we can make this dream come true.

I’m not sure about my six year old becoming our country’s president, but I do expect to see his little brother go to college.  I’m thankful to have a place to celebrate the dreams that make every day a celebration!

Thanks for sharing this dream with me.

Britt Sady: mother, friend, dreamer – Director – GiGi’s Playhouse, NYC