Give them a chance...

Hubby told me he had a chat with the Kiwanis librarian during adik's last visit to the centre. Kiwanis actually organized some kind of fund-raising activity at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa last December. We weren't able to attend it coz we were out of town. Anyway, since the event was held at an open park, weekend pulak tu, so there was quite a big crowd.

But the thing that strikes me was, according to the librarian, there were some people at the park that somehow perceived these Down Syndrome kids like an "alien" and they must keep their distance. Some parents didn't allow their kids to approach these special kids, as if these Down Syndrome kids have some sort of contagious disease. What a hurtful remarks and gestures!

Imagine how the parents of the special kids must have felt when they heard or saw these incidents. But most importantly, imagine how these special kids felt? They are way too young to understand why they are not allowed to make friends with other normal kids. They are just kids! They did nothing wrong. They didn't ask to be born as a Down Syndrome kids. Down Syndrome is not contagious, for goodness sake! Please don't discriminate these special kids. Give them a chance to lead a normal and happy life.

I remember the first few months after adik was born. Almost everytime when someone asked me about her, I would choked and sometimes I broke down and cried.Then we met other parents and kids at the Kiwanis. It certainly changed me and how I managed my emotions on this matter.

We are proud of adik and we love her, unconditionally, no matter what.