When I was younger, I would look at parents with Down syndrome children and feel sorry for them. I actually remember hearing a parent refer to their child as “special” and I just thought it was an easier way for them to deal with what had to be a sad situation. Well, on the afternoon of March 1, 2002, I found out first-hand what “special” REALLY means. 

When the doctor told my wife and I that we were going to have our second child in 
a matter of minutes, I was filled with a lot of different thoughts and feelings. My first feeling was one of excitement – I was going to have a boy! My thoughts drifted to baseball games and teaching him how to ride a bike. I was going to be the best dad a boy could have. I would teach him everything my father had taught me and watch him grow into a young man. My second feeling was that of contentment. I already had a little girl and now I would have my little boy. Once again, my thoughts drifted to my two children fighting over the phone and what television station to watch. I could also imagine my little girl looking after her baby brother, just like my sister looked after me. After what seemed like an eternity, we were in the delivery room for our emergency C-Section. 

When Wayne was born, I told my wife, “He’s beautiful!” and waited anxiously for the nurses to hand him to me like in the first delivery. After just a few seconds with him, the nurses took him to be cleaned and then I heard them call for another doctor. The nurses then told me that I would have to wait outside so that the doctors could “check him out.” I took one last look at my little boy and it hit me – he has Down syndrome! I was then reunited with my wife in the recovery room where I told her what I thought was going on and we waited. My wife started to cry and I just sat there stunned and confused. Finally, something hit me and I made the boldest statement I had ever made to my wife. I told her that she had five minutes to cry and that was it, because wewere not being fair to our new son. Then I remember saying “Who are you crying for? Him or us? He doesn’t know that he has Down syndrome and we are going to treat him just like we would any other child, until and if he needs special treatment.” After nineteen long days in NICU, we took our little boy home. 

Since that first day in the hospital, we have had several difficult days. My wife and I have had to keep each other going from time to time since then, but that is the way that life is in general. Now, two years later, I really don’t know what we were so upset about. You see, a few things I have learned about my son is that no matter how lights up any room regardless of the gloom (wished I could say the same about myself). He is just as stubborn and willful as I ever was (and his mother reminds me of that all the time). I look back at the feelings that I had before he was born and nothing has changed. We hoped for a healthy child – and got an angel. Wayne is so special to us and to everyone else that he comes in contact with. I am proud to say that he is my son. I understand a little more every day just how “special” he really is! sick he may get from time to time, he always has a smile on his face that 

Jonathan and Kimber McDowell 
Kimber work: (601) 292-0731 
Kimber cell: (601) 951-7775 
Jonathan cell: (601) 506-9734