Jump directly to the Content
What Down Syn Mean?

It's a question William asked me a long time ago, and I've been thinking about the answer ever since. I wrote it up for Lisa Belkin's new blog, Parentlode, at the Huffington Post "Explaining Down Syndrome to My Daughter, and to Myself." My post begins:

A few months back, I mentioned to our daughter Penny that she would be meeting another little boy who had Down syndrome, just like her. She didn't say anything in response, but later on that day, when Penny was at school and William was getting ready for a nap, he said, "Mom, what down syn mean?"

"Down syndrome, sweetie. Not down syn."

"I know drum," he replied. "What down syn mean?"

I nodded slowly, realizing that he was envisioning making music, and grateful that he didn't have a concept of "sin" on hand. So I said, "Well, it's all one word, and it doesn't have anything to do with an instrument." I searched a mental map for words to explain a chromosomal anomaly to a two-year old. I began, "It means Penny has an extra part in her body," but I realized that sounded as though she might grow a third arm. Then I said, "It's something that makes Penny special."

He stuck out his lower lip. "I want to be special."

I hugged him tight.

To keep reading, click here.

 

Support our work. Subscribe to CT and get one year free.

Recent Posts

Follow Christianity Today
Free Newsletters