July / August 2004
Volume 22, Number 4

A friend recently referred to “that club” to which I belong, and I assumed at the time she was thinking of Aim High. As she spoke, however, I realized that she meant the “club” we join when we become the parents of a child with Down syndrome, even though most of us do not set out to become “members.”

My husband and I have joked that we don’t know what we would do with all our spare time if our daughter had been born without Down syndrome. We might be environmental activitists, or peace activists, or we might not be doing anything at all…but here we are…members of a club we never realized existed until she came into our lives; and our time is filled with the benefits that all club members receive...

Membership provides us with wonderful relationships. We’re on a first name basis with most of our child’s doctors, teachers, and school administrators. How many “non-member” kids have anywhere from 8 to 18 concerned people around the table at their parent/teacher conference? Those relationships – both personal and professional – have carried us through difficult times, from the bittersweet beginning to medical crises and beyond. (See Stephanie Cipollo’s article on page 7.) And when club members become your friends, you know they truly celebrate your child’s victories and understand when you struggle, for they have been there themselves.

Membership offers us the opportunity to become better educated on topics we’d never give much thought to otherwise. Many of us find we have become more politically astute – learning about the law, who-is-who in local, state, and national government, and how school boards really function. We go to more meetings, read more newsletters, selectively choose our battles, and become smarter and stronger than we ever thought possible. We’ve become aware of the many agencies out there that can support us, and I’ll bet some of us don’t even mind paying taxes so much when we see where some of our dollars are going!

Membership has given us a greater appreciation of life. Having observed my daughter’s “development in slow motion”, I have, like so many other members, become keenly aware – and appreciative – of the complicated processes that lead to movement and communication. I suspect most of us who have hosted physical therapists in our homes from practically day one can tell you why babies must play with their toes, track bright shiny objects, and learn to crawl. Many of us would not have bothered learning a second language in our adult years; but, we now appreciate signing, along with all the other ways our kids have learned to communicate (see Communication Tips on page 10.) And, given the complexity of the human body, isn’t it amazing how many things actually do work correctly?

Of course, there is membership in Aim High, as well as participating in programs offered by the Down Syndrome Resource Center (DSRC)…just two more perks that come from joining the club. (Throughout this newsletter, read about the Spring Social, Tearing Up the Turf for Timothy, the Proclamation Night Ceremony, and the great seminars coming up this fall at the DSRC.) We may not have chosen to join this club, but, now that we’re part of it, we should take full advantage of its offerings. Membership does have its benefits.