Aaron
“Having a child with Down Syndrome is a huge blessing and gift in my life. I’m truly lucky to be his mom.”
Angela describes her 14 year-old son Aaron’s personality, adding that “he makes friends everywhere he goes. He completes our family… all of my older kids say he’s their favorite sibling. We can’t imagine our lives without him.”
The fun-loving eighth-grader clearly has a gift for connecting with people, which has helped him make friends at Gigi’s Playhouse, the Down syndrome achievement center that led us to meeting Aaron. When not dancing there—something Angela says he’ll do “even with no music playing”— Aaron likes to draw, play basketball, wrestle with his brothers, and organize his toy cars by color.
In the mornings before school, he requests his favorite music playlist, which includes songs by his favorite band Big Time Rush. Once at school, Aaron participates in his special education classes, such as math, science, and physical exercise. (His favorite period is lunch, his mom says. Relatable!) Angela knows that he can try and enjoy all of the same things as his typically-developing peers, even if at a different pace.
"Something that has been difficult for me is letting him be more responsible and independent. Because he’s my youngest of six, I tend to baby him. I’m not doing him any favors when I lower the bar."
"While it may sometimes take people with Down syndrome more time to do things, they can do the same things as anyone else.....One of the best things I can do for him is to be his cheerleader and let him know that I believe in him. Having encouragement and support is vital for everyone!" We 100% agree!
