Welcome Down Syndrome Parents!

I have had some visitors from the Down Syndrome message board... to you I say welcome! You have my utmost respect and good wishes. Our life with a Down Syndrome family member was not always easy, but still great. And I don't know if anyone has told you, but some DS folks can have wickedly funny senses of humor. And a little bit of style, and scandal. I think that's my brother in a nutshell.

After my parents died, Jerry lived with us for a few years. We had to teach him some basic living skills, because my parents really babied him. But after a few years of teaching hygiene, bed making, and some cooking and cleaning, he was ready for more independence and so were we.

He moved to a group home nearby, which is a beautiful place with several individual homes on the property. He belongs to their travel club, and has been to the Super Bowl (twice), a Caribbean cruise, a trip to Philadelphia, a trip to Disney World, a trip to Hawaii, and is going on a Mexican cruise. For the first time, he has true buddies that he can hang out with. Though I sort of feel bad that he doesn't live with us, he is immensely happier hanging with his friends, working, and doing fun stuff.