Finding the Treasure

Kelli Webber, Baton Rouge, LA

My name is Kelli Webber, and I work in the Office of Orientation at Louisiana State University. I am also the proud advisor of the LSU Ambassadors, a student organization on campus whose mission is to recruit, orient and advise incoming students. All of my students were able to share my pregnancy with me, and I knew that my son would always have a special place in their hearts. However, I could have never have imagined the special gift they would give our family.

While I was on maternity leave, my students made a video for me to watch. As the video played, I was greeted by several of my students sending us well wishes, saying how much they missed me, and talking about how excited they were to meet Parish. Each message touched my heart immensely. I was flabbergasted at the amount of time they had spent on this video - time away from so many other commitments they had, time they made for our family and our new son. At the end of each clip, each Ambassador said, “We are finding the treasure in each Parish.” I thought that was such a sweet play on his name, and I giggled at their creativity.

However, at the end of the video, an even more special gift was revealed. All the while, I simply assumed that, “We are finding the treasure in each Parish” was a cute tag line they created for the video, but I could have never imagined the deeper, more meaningful significance of those words. At the end of the video, it was explained that each of my students had reached out to their friends and families all over the state of Louisiana to raise funds for the National Down Syndrome Society in Parish’s name. Hence finding “treasure” in each parish. They even created a T-shirt to sell in order to raise even more funds in Parish’s name. Their plan was to wear those shirts as they participated in the National Down Syndrome Society’s Buddy Walk® in Baton Rouge on October 4, 2008. As I listened to them explain what their plans were, tears welled up in my eyes and streamed down my face. My heart became so full that I thought it would explode in my chest. I could not believe that these students had taken the time and gone to such great lengths to do something like this for my family, for my Parish. Even now as I type this I am overwhelmed and humbled by their gesture. There are no words to express the gratitude that is in my heart.

You see, we were unaware of Parish’s diagnosis until he was born. Parish was born with cataracts, thyroid issues and liver troubles. Truth be told, we had not had much time to even digest that he also had Down syndrome. But in one fell swoop, my LSU Ambassadors introduced us to an amazing community of support in our town.  They gave a gift to our family that we will not soon forget.

The Monkey King

Ben Savill, Tustin, CA

One summer evening, at the age of 4 years and 9 months, Jaden Temple Savill climbed atop the play structure in our community park in Tustin, CA. He stood facing the “fire-fighter’s sliding pole” and stared ahead. Something about his expression seemed different from usual. And then it happened. Jaden reached forward and seized the pole with one hand and then the other. I waited for his usual “Help me!”, but it didn’t come. Before I knew it, he had stretched out one leg and then the other, and was suspended on the pole eight feet above the ground. A moment later, he slowly and deliberately lowered himself down the pole, hand by hand, foot by foot, until he reached the ground.

Jaden looked up at me with a big smile. I smiled back, temporarily lost for words. Finally I said “Great job, Jaden!”, and we hi-fived. My words seemed a very inadequate response to what had just taken place. This was way more than a great job. I had the feeling that I had just witnessed the unfolding of a giant evolutionary leap – like witnessing the first caterpillar climb out of its cocoon, spread out its wings and take to the air. It felt as if another line had just been added to the miraculous 14 billion-year story of the Universe.

While I was busy contemplating God and evolution, Jaden hurried back up the steps of the play structure to re-test his new-found wings. Sure enough, he precisely repeated his unassisted climb down the pole.

Jaden displayed a talent for climbing and hanging from heights at a very early age. My ineptitude for home improvement meant that I never got round to installing a safety gate at the top and bottom of our staircase. So from the moment Jaden started crawling at 10 months of age, he was clambering up and down the stairs. This may not have been good for his mother’s heart, but it was great for the development of Jaden’s strength, coordination, spatial planning, problem solving, self-confidence and courage!

When we enrolled Jaden in a gym class at the age of 2 years and 9 months, the other 12 children were all typical kids. Jaden may have lagged behind them at jumping, hopping and the balance beam, but he was the champion of the monkey bar. Not only could he hang from the bar for 10 seconds longer than the next best child, but he also quickly mastered the art of raising his feet up to the bar and hanging upside down.

We’ve now enrolled Jaden in Karate For All in the hope that he’ll keep at least one foot on the ground! He loves karate and loves his teacher Sensei Wayne Centra. A few days before his 5th birthday, Jaden successfully completed his first karate test, and now proudly boasts a black stripe on his white belt.

My Son, My Inspiration

Pamela Garcia, Clementon, NJ

My son Gabriel came into my life in August 2004, and as a result changed my outlook on life forever. I was unaware of my son’s diagnoses through my pregnancy and was told that he had a chromosomal abnormality within hours after his birth. I was in denial and felt sorry for myself. Why me? Why did this happen to me and my family? After confirming that my son had Down syndrome, I learned all that I could about his diagnosis. If I only knew then what I know now, I could have saved myself so much heartache.

Watching Gabriel through the last six years has inspired me in everything that I do in life.  He was my third and last child. Watching Gabriel be challenged by his special needs has inspired me to overcome my challenges. I was a high school dropout and worked at a job that I had no gratification from. I felt I'd stay there forever because I did not know what I really wanted to do. Since Gabriel was born, I have received my GED and have completed over 30 college credits.  I am working my way to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education. I once felt sorry for myself, wondering why my son was born with a disability. I now wonder what I must have done right to have Gabriel in my life. 

We don’t know what is in store for us with our children. They are all unique and different.  There are no guarantees in life. Being a parent, one needs to handle all the responsibilities, regardless of a child’s needs. Gabriel struggles to talk, but continues to try. I love his determination. This little boy has shown me more love in only four years that I think I have ever felt in all of my life. He spreads sunshine everywhere he goes.  He is special in his own way. He has challenges, just as all human beings do. I have learned so much about what it means to be a mother from Gabriel.

My Son, My inspiration

He is my son my greatest inspiration

He taught me life’s lessons he is truly a gift from heaven

He taught me to keep trying and never give up

He taught me to be patient even when it was tough

He taught me to love unconditionally, despite that he has a disability

Mother of a special child,

Pamela Garcia

Frankie's Garden

Karla Cyr, Cross Lake Twp,  ME

I looked at my garden last year and wondered how I could honor my uncle, Frank Brescia, for living a divine life as a person with Down syndrome.  Along a tree line, in front of a stone path, I spotted a perfect location.  It faced a flowing stream of water that runs season after season, moving like life even long after death.  I quickly got out my shovel, sorted through an array of rocks, untangled weeds and pruned back twigs to make way for Frankie’s garden.  Frankie loved flowers as much as I do.  Although in referring to them he often said “B-E-E,” as if somewhere in the petals hid a bumble bee.  Frankie had always lived at home with his mother until he was twenty-seven,  but shortly after her death he moved into my parents’ home to live with his sister.  I was six years old at the time and can vaguely remember that day.  All I seem to recall is that a short, stout young man moved in and began living his life with our family.  Frankie didn’t settle into his bedroom quickly.  I guess he thought he was visiting our home for a few days even though we told him, “This is your home from now on.”  He didn’t seem easily convinced at first, but after two weeks of living out of his suitcase he decided to hang up his shirts and fill the empty dresser drawers.  Over the weeks and months that followed we discovered that Frankie had many incredible gifts:  he could write his name with someone guiding his hand; he could say  short-syllabled words, particularly the names he gave us--calling “Weezle” to his sister, “Boss” to my father, “The Fonz” to my brother and “Karle” to me.  He could also organize things like a fastidious butler, beat drums, sing Beatles tunes and wobble two spool-topped sticks we called “twiddle sticks” between his fingers.  No one who knew Frankie could ever forget his “twiddle sticks.”  Every Christmas someone from the family had to buy him a new can of Tinker Toys.  All he ever wanted were the green sticks and spools; everything else remained in the can.  Like a virtuoso, Frankie had mastered the art of drumming his sticks, moving them fast and slow to the tempo of music.  Our little earth angel flew home to heaven on November 5, 2008 after a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and other progressive illnesses.  He was nearly fifty-nine years old.  There is hardly a day now that we don’t think of Frankie and say, “Do you remember when…?”  And with every question the answer is always “yes.” Frankie made an indelible mark on our lives.  We believe he came to us as a messenger, conveying in his own way the importance of embracing life and shining bright.  In a way, Frankie’s memorial garden is doing the same—embracing warmth and nurturing buds into bloom just like Frankie did--the brightest flower in our lives.

A Pinch of Hope

Nicole Dupuis, Fort Wayne, IN

The following story was written three years ago by my 10 year old daughter, Brooke. She recalls the journey our family was on during my pregnancy and birth of her brother, Matthew, who is now nearly 4 years old. I could write a book on the wondrous ways he’s impacted our lives, but it is so beautiful to see the world through the eyes of a child.

April 24, 2007

This story is dedicated to my baby brother, Matthew Phillip Dupuis. He inspired me to write this story because he has brought so many smiles, happiness and joy to our family.

In August 2007, my mom told me that we were going to have another brother or sister. We were so excited! My mom had an ultrasound. The doctor said that some things did not look good. He said that the baby would die before, during, or shortly after birth. My parents asked if he thought the baby had Down syndrome, and the doctor said no, it was much worse. When we got home from school, I knew that something went terribly wrong.

My parents told my brother and I the bad news. I was both sad and surprised at the same time. The test results were not coming back for about 4 days, so we spent the weekend praying and asking God for a miracle. Everyone was so sad, but I told my Mom and Dad that we just needed to have hope because God could make anything happen. My family decided we would name the baby Matthew, which means “Gift of the Lord God.” So many people started praying for our family from all over the United States and Canada.

Finally, the results came back and the specialist called. He told my Mom that Matthew would live and only had Down syndrome. When we came home from school, my parents told us and I felt like the happiest girl in the world! The doctor said there was a chance that Matthew could be born with many problems, so we prayed a lot. We started getting letters from people we didn’t even know telling us they were praying for our family.

Then on Easter Sunday, April 16th, 2006 he was born…the great miracle of my baby brother Matthew! I was so happy and could not wait to see him. He was six weeks early, so he had to stay in the I.C.U. for two weeks. He was born without any big health problems. I know that all our prayers helped Matthew to be alive and healthy.

Even though he has Down syndrome, we still treat him the same way we would treat any other baby boy. People with Down syndrome may learn slower, but they can accomplish great things in the world. Many can live alone, have jobs and take care of themselves. We are so lucky to have Matthew in our lives. Without God’s help and my little pinch of hope he might not be here today.

Quest for Kindergarten

Linda Elento, Kaneohe, HI

Last fall, our local news media described our quest to find a regular kindergarten for our son Jason. At the age of 7, Jason was considered by the public school to be too old to enter a regular kindergarten classroom and instead to be in need of a special education program, separated from “typically-developing" children.
 
On June 5, Wendell (Jason's dad) and I had the pleasure of watching Jason receive his kindergarten diploma at his new school, Hawaii Technology Academy. HTA is a public charter school, which means we choose to go to this school instead of the home-district school based on where we live.
 
Jason now attends regular first grade classes, which are designed to be small. He is making friends at HTA’s Learning Center for partial days during the week. He also learns at home with me, his learning coach, while reading and using interactive lessons online and with DVDs repeatedly, hence the “Technology” in the name of his favorite new school.
 
Like many other children with Down syndrome, Jason shares a similar learning profile, including learning through repetition with a slower rate of progress.
 
He is highly responsive to music and benefits from small “regular” classes and breaks. I believe this school fits Jason and our family to a “T.”

Thank you, My Great Story, for sharing our success story.

Inclusion

Colleen Bailey, Gladewater, TX

Once upon a time (a true story), my parents thought it would be cool to include me in a local Baby Contest. The judges for the newspaper gave me 3rd place and a star was born.

Then some nice people from the ARC in our county included my picture with my parents for a calendar fund-raiser. I liked our matching outfits and everyone knew us as the “orange family.”

Around this time, the great people with AMBUCS included me on the cover of their magazine because they liked how I was learning to ride my new Amtryke.

My mom thought we were on a roll so she entered my picture in the National Down Syndrome Society's Times Square Video contest and those people up in New York really liked my golf swing picture. They must have thought I looked like Tiger Woods because they included my picture as one of the winners.

Well, what do you think happened next? Television reporters came to my house and asked me questions and took more pictures. One of the reporters was once in a beauty pageant and she was real, real pretty. The ABC and CBS stations included me on TV. They liked the picture and they liked hearing me identify most of the 100 Great Wonders of the World in the interview.

Since my Daddy is a project manager and builds churches, he teaches me things at the Lowe’s Kids Clinics because that store includes me, too.  We’ve built a tool box, a fire engine, a bird house, a miniature golf set and other cool stuff.
 
Mommy loves to read, so I help her read books to younger children at our Public Library. We also taught the kids some fun sign language words because that is how I used to communicate before I started talking. Some important people called the “Library Board” asked me to show how I memorized books so I got to read to them, too. I won 2nd place in the Summer Reading Program because I sat quietly while 122 books were read to me and then did hand-over-hand writing of the book titles with the Boy Scout who read to me. Inclusion is so much fun!

I sit very, very still at City Council meetings and then shake hands with the leaders of our town. It’s important to be included even at my age. One of them wants me to recite the Pledge of Allegiance soon.  I’ll have to check my schedule.

My grandpa asked me to come up on stage at his church to recite all of Psalm 23. I liked the big microphone. And the audience liked what I said. I wasn’t sure why they all cried but Mommy said it was because they were crying happy tears. God includes all of us, you know.

Inclusion is part of my socialization because I’m home-schooled and, oh yeah, I forgot to tell you...I am only five years old.

Advocate in Action

David Egan, Vienna, VA

I am an eager advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. Born in 1977 on the University of Wisconsin – Madison campus, I am the oldest of four children in the Egan family. For over a decade I have been a clerk in the Distribution Center at Booz Allen and Hamilton in McLean, Virginia, where I am treated as a full staff member with all of the related benefits and expectations. You can watch a video of my work filmed by NDSS (LAUNCH: Careers for People with Down Syndrome on YouTube). My CEO believes in inclusion, human dignity and employing people with disabilities. He says: "It is good for the individual, the company and the society at large.”  I was selected as the first ever Board Member of the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia (there are two of us right now). I also serve as a Board Member of Special Olympics Virginia and I am an honorary member of the Parents of Exceptional Children (POEC).

While I work during the day and keep busy with community activities, I also love athletics and enjoy competing in soccer, basketball, softball, swimming (specializing in the 100-meter individual medley), and even speed skating when I was younger. However, my current dream and passion is to win the hearts and open the minds of many, advocating for inclusion, dignity and respect in all aspects of life at the local, national and international levels.

I have received numerous awards such as the Heroes Award from Special Olympics International (2002), the Voices Award from the National Down Syndrome Society (2003) in New York City, the Virginia H. Foster Winning Spirit Award from Special Olympics Virginia (2006) and the Dan Piper Award from the National Down Syndrome Society in Vancouver, Canada (2006) at the 9th World Down Syndrome Congress.

I am thankful for being a naturally gifted communicator both in casual conversations and in more formal speaking engagements such as an invited keynote speaker at the National Down Syndrome Society conference in Washington, D.C. (2002), the World Congress held in Vancouver, Canada (2006), and the Affiliates in Action Conference in Arizona (2007). I speak at various fund-raising events, building awareness and thanking supporters for their involvement promoting the image and contributions of people with disabilities. I am also a published writer, including an article titled "Dare to Dream" in Spirit Magazine (2000) and the forward for my 6th grade teacher Rachelle Zola's book "Simple Successes" (2006). I have accepted numerous invitations to speak on Capitol Hill in support of people with disabilities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and I dream of one day speaking, working (and perhaps playing basketball) at the White House.

The Performer

Houston Vandergriff, Powell, TN

William Shakespeare once said:

All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts...

I think I was born to be on stage! I love to play many parts. I try to perform in any and every way I can – dancing, acting, singing, modeling – you name it, I love it!

At the Passion Play of the Smokies in Townsend, Tennessee, I play a villager who meets Jesus. All of my family members are in the cast of the play, which is near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We do shows through the summer and fall. 

This summer, a movie producer saw me performing at the Passion Play and cast me in a small part in his movie, Light, Streets of Redemption.  It should be out in early 2010. I play a boy who can see an angel. It was fun getting to meet the other actors and working with the director and film crew.

My picture for last year’s Buddy Walk® Times Square Video Presentation is from my performance in A Christmas Carol: The Musical that I did with the Southern Kids in Theater(SKIT). I played a party guest at Mr. Fezziwig’s Christmas ball. 

I take two different dance classes. One is for just kids with Down syndrome, and is called The Sunshine Ambassadors. We perform at our regional Buddy Walk®, the Dogwood Arts Festival, and other events around our area. Our special group shows everyone what kids with Down syndrome can do.

My other dance class is a boys dance class for jazz, tap, and ballet. I have been in the Nutcracker with the Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association for the past three years. I have danced the part of a soldier and a party boy.  This year we performed with a live orchestra and it was really special.  One day, I hope to play the Mouse King, but I have to get a little bigger to fight the Nutcracker! 

In this summer’s production of Splash Kingdom I played the a soldier and did sign language to a special song. In The Story of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, I play Ezekiel.  We have performed this play several times throughout or region. My picture was on a billboard for a magazine advertisement, and I am soon going to be in a fashion show for Goodwill Industries.

I am signed with a talent agency, Talent Trek. Through them, I have done several cool things, including a photo shoot for a back-to-school fashion section. I also went to Nashville to film a commercial for the U.S. Armed forces that is being broadcast around the world. It is a public service announcement for military personnel to let them know about help that is available to them if they have kids with special needs.

Down syndrome has never gotten in my way, it has opened many doors.

Different Sneakers
Jessica Melville, Sandwich, MA

“What kind of sneakers is she going to have to wear?”

This was one of many questions that were going through my head. It is September 2003 and I just found out my daughter is going to be born with Down syndrome. I am only sixteen years old, just days away from my seventeenth birthday. I am a good student, sister, and shoe lover. (Hence the reason why sneaker choice would be one of my great fears about this baby's diagnosis.) I do not want to deal with Velcro versus ties or orthopedic shoes; I want to pick out the latest trends and styles for her. With this diagnosis, I am now faced with the challenge of redefining every goal and dream for my daughter. I am scared, naturally. My friends are all out celebrating senior year and here I am asking myself stupid questions. After a few agonizing days I realize, she is my child, I love her, and does it really matter what kind of shoes she has on?

It doesn’t. This child isn’t even born yet and she has already taught me a lesson. I no longer care about shoes and shopping; I just want my baby to live. I want her to be born healthy and be happy. So I make up my mind that just because she had Down syndrome, I don’t have to give up all of my dreams for her. I can still buy her cool sneakers and shoes; we just might need to look harder for ones that offer support as well. A couple weeks go by and I am at the mall. I go into Finish Line and find a great pair of pink Nike crib shoes, so I buy them. 

A month goes by and Jaylin is born, a healthy four pound, twelve ounce baby girl with a head full of black hair. She was born with a heart defect, but it gets corrected six months after birth. A little while after that, she begins wearing her pink Nikes. Most babies grow out of those kinds of shoes soon after birth, but not my little Jaybird. She rocked those shoes for a good couple of months. 

These days Jaylin is doing well. She goes shoe shopping with me and her current pick is a multicolored pair of Nike high tops. I don’t think she truly cares about shoes, but just enjoys spending the time with me picking them out. She teaches me and her teachers more than we teach her. I am so happy that I was blessed with her and that she changed my views on life. Had she not been born with DS I don’t think I would be as good of a person as I am now. I currently organize a Buddy Walk® with some other moms and we use funds from the walk to donate care packages to families facing hospital stays due to complications of DS. Jaylin is almost six, and this year was our fifth Buddy Walk®.  I started the walks in honor of her, and it is because of her that I can reach out to other families now.

Having a baby with Down syndrome made that seventeen year old me grow up fast, but strong in moral and good faith. Jaylin is such a special child. She takes her time when most of us want her to rush and she is always the one smiling when everyone else is melting down. She will not let the world define her. She will keep doing what she loves...in great shoes...just to make me happy.

Lauren's Sleepover
Eileen Borenstein, Oreland, PA

Our five-year old granddaughter, Lauren Marie Borenstein, who has Down syndrome, wanted to sleep over for the night at Grammy and Pop-pop’s house. We were not so sure that in the middle of the night she wouldn’t be crying that she wanted to go home. So, with some trepidation, we decided to try it.

The day of the sleepover we had such a wonderful time together. We danced, played dress-up and just had a joyful time together. This was the very first time Lauren had spent the entire time with just her Grammy and Pop-pop. Every so often we exchanged hugs and kisses. At one point, while sitting in her Pop-pop’s lap, she cuddled up and took a short nap.

Before dinner, we all watched a Raffi children’s concert. We watched as Lauren danced along with the children in the audience. She loves music and movement with her whole heart, and it filled us with joy just to watch her.

At one point after the concert, she looked sad. When I asked her if she missed her mommy, she said yes. I, her Grammy, thought “Oh, oh, just as I thought; we may not make it through the sleepover.” How wrong I was! After a short, reassuring conversation with her mom, she was all revved up to hang out with us for her overnight.

After dinner, a playful bath with her favorite Barbie, and a story, it was bedtime.
Lauren’s ability to just enjoy the moment, her pride in herself  and her sense of fun and joy were awesome for us to see. Now, let’s see if going to bed will work.

Immediately after tucking her in, she jumped out of bed. Again, “oh, oh” went through my mind. Was I surprised and warmed to my toes with what she did next. She had spotted her older brother  Daniel’s pillow, that he uses for his sleepovers. She brought it to bed with her, cuddled up to it, and fell fast asleep.

First thing in the morning (5 am!) I heard a little something. On my way to Lauren’s room, I found her at my dressing table: she was smiling at herself in the mirror and putting on jewelry. When we saw eachother, we both grinned ear to ear. “Hi, Grammy” she said.

Little did we know how joyful and determined she is. We are her proud Grandparents.

Starring James Walker
James Walker, El Paso, IL

Hi! My Name is James Robert Walker and I am 19 years old. I live in El Paso, Illinois with my family.  I graduated from Normal West High School in 2009.  I work at Four Seasons Recreation Club where I do many different things like clean the workout machines, fold towels, greet guests and many other exciting things. My Great Story is about me being in the musical, Annie.  I hope you enjoy it!

In the musical Annie, I was Rooster.  He was a very mean guy to the orphans.  Ms. Hannigan and Rooster teamed up together against the orphans who were playing tricks on them.  This made playing my character a lot more fun because I had to act differently then I do in real life.  I had to learn my lines and sing many different songs.  My favorite songs to sing in Annie was “Easy Street” and “Anything About You” because the characters in the musical were all happy when singing those songs. My two favorite characters in the musical were Annie and Warbucks.  Here is a little summary of what the musical Annie is about. 

The musical Annie is about a young girl who is an orphan.  An orphan is someone who does not have any parents.  Annie is a nice girl who wants to get adopted.  She lives in an orphanage with a lot of other girls and they cause a lot of trouble by playing jokes on Ms. Hannigan. She causes some trouble along the way before Daddy Warbucks comes along.  Annie gets to live a life full of love and money until...You will have to watch the musical to see what happens next! 

Being Rooster in the musical Annie was something that I wish I could do again.  Everyone in the cast was very nice and we had a lot of fun together.  We practiced everyday after school for a couple of months.  It was a lot of had work but so much fun at the same time.  I plan on being in other musicals in the future with the same group of people because everyone was very nice and helped me learn my lines and songs.  I can’t wait to see what musical I will be in next!

My Special Brother
Kristen Behrens, Glastonbury, CT

Michael, you remind me every day not to follow the crowd and that it’s ok to be different.

On the corner of my desk is the picture of my brother Michael walking up to us on his graduation day. We were all facing the procession of students, waiting for the last names that start with “B” to file out at the closing ceremony. But Michael wasn’t there. He cut out of the line and came up to us from behind because he wanted to be with us, not waiting in line.

That picture inspires me not only because Michael graduated and had (of course, I’m biased) the LOUDEST roar of applause on that dusky summer evening.  Michael sat in the same row I sat in three years prior awaiting his diploma. Only he doesn’t realize how much he taught me, and not the other way around. When Michael was born I learned that I had a “special brother.”  That meant nothing to me – isn’t every brother special? 

Michael and I have always enjoyed the same things – swimming, movies, riding in the car and singing at the top of our lungs and most of all doing the “mom/dad” dance imitation (sorry Mom!). Michael’s love for life and those around him is beyond most people’s understanding of care. He is an exceptional person and that has nothing to do with him being special.

Michael is the athlete – he takes on any challenge – in life and in the pool. I can remember one instance at Special Olympics… Michael and I worked on his dive for weeks and we were both excited for him to compete.  As I sat in the hot bleachers I looked down on the pool deck only to see that Michael’s competition was much taller than him.  Michael approached the side of the pool for the start and looked up at my family and me with that unmistakable look of “YIKES!”  I can remember nodding toward him, hoping he knew to follow our motto of “get out there, and do your best.” He did. He won.

While not every challenge Michael has come across was an instant win, we have learned to forge the road together, as a family. Michael continues to be the one person I love to brag about, from the time he walked across that stage for his high school diploma to the day he started his position as a teacher’s assistant to help those less fortunate than him.

Michael has taught me that no matter what I do, I should try my best and never be sorry for that.  He has reminded me that even when others are cruel, we must consider their feelings as well.  Michael, you are a true blessing and you totally rock. From your biggest fan and sister, I love you.

I Did It!
Michael Peoples, Fort Wayne, IN

Michael Peoples' parents and three siblings love to scuba dive and he dreamed of joining them. By 9 years old, he was an exceptional swimmer and a good listener in the pool. Although Michael will never be a certified diver, his parents spoke with the staff at Don Foster's dive operation in Grand Cayman, about what experiences could be possible. Don Foster's started him in scuba lessons with a wonderful and highly experienced PADI Instructor named Polly Cox. Polly had experience teaching individuals with other disabilities to scuba dive but Michael was the first person she worked with who had a cognitive delay.
 
Every summer for the next 5 years in the dive center's pool, Michael spent several days learning the skills, each year reviewing what he had learned and building on that with new skills. He learned the equipment, how to operate it, and safety measures. Sometimes Polly adapted the training just for Michael's level and understanding. By the time he was 14 years old, Polly, and Michael, believed that he was ready for an actual ocean dive. The next day, Michael, along with Polly and his family, jumped off a dive boat dive into the ocean. Jumping into the open ocean with all the gear on was a little scary for Michael, but with Polly constantly at his side, he successfully completed his first ocean dive!
 
Michael's second dive, however, was truly incredible. Instead of using a boat, the plan was to go down a ladder at the boat pier and descend into about 15 feet of water. Everything went perfectly. Polly, staying right at Michael's side, led him and his family out to the nearby reef. While exploring the reef in 27 feet of water, Michael suddenly signaled a problem with his mask. Polly signaled back for him to clear it. He cleared it but then later signaled the problem again.  The seal around his prescription dive mask lens had blown out and his mask was completely flooded with water! Michael signaled that he wanted to go up. Polly signaled "No!  Stay with me!" Even though they had a floating “Divers Below” flag above them, Polly wanted to make sure that they surfaced away from any boat dangers on the surface.
 
According to Polly, even though scuba training teaches new divers how to deal with flooded masks, many beginners panic the first time water fills their mask while on an actual dive and not in the practice pool. Michael wasn't like many beginner divers, though. He didn't panic.  He did exactly what he learned to do during his years of training.  He stayed calm, thought it through, and followed Polly's instructions. Polly gradually led Michael to shallower water in an area with no boat traffic. The group surfaced and swam together back to shore for a celebration of Michael's amazing accomplishment!

Every summer, Michael continues his scuba diving training and practice in the dive center's pool preparing for the moment when he's ready to jump back in ocean again...maybe this year!