Meet Scarlett she was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth
Hi. I am Scarlett. I am 3 years old. I surprised my parents with a diagnosis of Down syndrome at birth. At first, my mom was really scared. She was afraid I would change her life. She worried about how my diagnosis would impact my siblings. She was afraid she would not know how to take care of me. I was the first person she knew with Down syndrome. Once she learned more about Down syndrome she realized she just needed to love me and treat me like my siblings. Loving me, came easy! I have a big brother and two big sisters. My siblings are gymnasts. I am a gymnast too. I love to walk on the balance beam and do forward rolls. I enjoy traveling especially to the beach. I also love playing with my friends at preschool. I use sign language and words to communicate. I started learning sign language when I was six months old. I love sign language! I know over one hundred signs. I am really smart and I work hard. My mom and I like to educate others about Down syndrome. We talk to kids at elementary schools and even future teachers at the university. Some people think Down syndrome is scary or bad, but it is not. I can do everything my family and friends do. Sometimes I have to practice longer or work harder to achieve my goals. But I am not afraid to work hard.
Change for the better
Because of my diagnosis, I have a lot of extra appointments. I see four different types of doctors regularly. I have done therapy since I was six weeks old. I have a thyroid disorder called Grave's Disease. So I take medicine every morning and night. I also have to get my blood drawn often. I do not like needles!
My mom says I am just as valuable as my siblings. I believe her! One of my mom's fears was right. I did change her life! She just did not know the change would be better. I have made her life richer and fuller. She did not know that I would influence my siblings to be more compassionate and understanding kids. My mom says I helped open her eyes and heart to the beauty of raising a child with Down syndrome and she would not change a single chromosome of mine if she could.
