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I hear the positive stereotypes all the time. From relatives, friends, doctors, teachers, strangers who strike up a conversation in a store. “Down syndrome children are so sweet.” Or, “They are all so cute and happy all the time.” Or, “Down’s kids are angels.” It’s nice that Penny happens to have a disability that comes…

After Penny was diagnosed with Down syndrome, there were days when I felt as if I was drowning. I could almost feel my lungs filling up with water. I could almost see my murky surroundings, the distorted objects and the light filtering through. I thought I would never come to the surface. Back then, my…

“It takes a village,” has become a cliché. But I really believe it. A wide array of people have been involved in our children’s lives by virtue of circumstance, necessity, and desire. There’s family, of course. My mother, who spends most Thursday nights and Friday mornings caring for her grandchildren. My Aunt Jane, who has…

I’ve written before about how often celebrities seem ignorant about the realities of life with a disability (“What’s Up With Hollywood and the R-Word?”). I’m always eager to hear stories of families with individuals with Down syndrome, but I was particularly delighted to watch this video from Entertainment Tonight of Jamie Foxx with his sister…

We were sitting at dinner a few days ago. William (who is two-years old) had cleaned his plate, which had consisted of cous cous, pears, and hot dogs. I offered him more pear. I should have recognized the problem before it even reached his mouth. This pear came out of the salad Peter and I…

Editor’s Note: In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, all of the “Perfectly Human” posts in October will be stories of families and individuals with Down syndrome. When our son Adam was ten days old my husband picked out a Bible verse for his life: “I shall not die but live, and tell of the…

Accident: [ak-si-duhnt]  -noun 1. an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap: automobile accidents. 2. Law. such a happening resulting in injury that is in no way the fault of the injured person for which compensation or indemnity is legally sought. 3. any event…

I’m confused.  Yesterday, Dr. Robert G. Edwards was awarded the Nobel Prize for his pioneering role in in-vitro fertilization. In many of the news reports I read, including an article for the New York Times, for Motherlode, and on NPR (click here and here), ethical questions were raised in relation to Dr. Edwards’ work. But…

It’s one of my favorite stories in the Bible, John 4, where Jesus asks a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. I love it because it demonstrates who Jesus is–that he’s willing, and even eager, to talk to the whole spectrum of humanity (from Nicodemus, the intellectual religious leader in John 3, to the…

I titled a post last week, “Does Every Human Life Have Value?” And I wrote my answer. In a word, yes. But my husband pointed out that I could have taken it a step further and asked, “Is every human life equally valuable?” Again, my answer is yes. But perhaps that’s a harder case to…
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