Tonight I made a phone call to ask about the wellbeing of a hospitalized child, with Down syndrome, of an aquaitance. Ricki overheard a bit, and asked who I had called. I explained. In addition, I told her how people who have Down syndrome often have, in addition to “a more difficult time learning things”, various health problems, because of “that extra chromosome”. (This is the second time I have mentioned chromosomes to her, but I am sure she hasn’t understood them yet.) I mentioned her own heart operation, although assuring her that now she is healthy.
But in the end, I had to tell her that this friend of mine is hoping for a miracle. Her child is very ill, and may very well not “make it”. I told her the blunt news that she is lucky, because not all kids with Down syndrome survive, even though she, thankfully, did.
In the end I tied the discussion up with the idea that things in life are not always what we want. Good people also suffer at times.
What exactly Ricki gets of all this I don’t know. But these are topics she will need to deal with in her life, and I have to initiate her towards a consideration of the topic.
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