Friday, November 18, 2011

“Down syndrome?!?”

Sunday evening I was packing an overnight bag for Ricki and I, for our overnight stay in the hospital. As I was arranging our things, Ricki noticed the letter with the results from her first sleep study. It started with Ricki’s medical history, and she started reading it aloud.
With nearly every line she passed, digesting the imfprmation. Often she would ask questions.
“Heart operation??”
“Yes, Ricki, you had a small surgery on your heart when you were a baby.”
“Hospitalization?”
“You remember, when you were in the hospital this summer.”

“Down syndrome?!?!?”
“Ricki, you KNOW that you have Down syndrome.”

And she nodded her head.
Acquiescence.
Self acceptance.

That’s totally stunning!

1 comment:

Becca said...

When Samantha was a baby, I obsessed about how that kind of conversation would play out. I always wondered what kind of self-awareness our kids would have, and *when* those conversations would take place. Love this!