Tuesday, November 28, 2017

"Why Sorry is a Bad Word"

           The Canadian Down Syndrome society recently released a video that speaks to a lot of families with someone with Down Syndrome. Entitled "Why Sorry is A Bad Word," the video discusses why sorry is such a horrible thing to say to parents who have a newborn with Down Syndrome.
           When Robb was born, sorry was something my parents heard often. Many people even sent condolence cards and flowers, and some asked, "Wouldn't it have been better if you just had a miscarriage?"  People may have thought they were empathizing, but in reality, flowers died, cards got thrown away, and after everything, Robb remained in my parents' lives. It is not easy for parents to find out their kid has Down Syndrome, but sorry can often make the parents experience harder than it already is. Instead of expressing pity, people need to support the parents and show them they are not alone.
           As one mom in the video says, you do not know what challenges any baby is going to face in their future, so instead of trying to anticipate those future challenges, celebrate the new life that has been created.