My 56 year old cousin is Downs. When he was little they generally just institutionalized these kids but John was blessed with two wonderful parents who researched and worked in the home with him throughout his childhood. I remember one therapy (I was just a kid too) - evidently Downs kids don’t naturally crawl so my aunt would spend hours doing what we would now call physical therapy with him when he was a toddler, moving his arms and legs and scooting him across the floor. Now he reads and writes, has worked for Wal-mart for probably close to 40 years and drives a car. He lives in a group home. I have a letter from him I need to answer. His parents are both gone but he has two sisters and a number of nieces and nephews who all love him.
Beautiful story ...