Down Syndrome - This is our story!

My name is Manjula and I am a full-time working mum of a family of 4 - my husband Prakash, my daughter Verisa, and my son Jaylan, who has Down Syndrome. Just under four years after the birth of our daughter, my husband and I were blessed again with the birth of our son.

Jaylan is now 23 years old and attends an adult day-centre four days a week. I would like to talk to you about our family experiences of living with an individual with Down syndrome. My family and I will be writing our entries together and hope to give a different and honest perspective.

What will we bring to the table?

I will blog about different topics each month, throwing in a few anecdotes here and there. So here are a few that will be coming up:-

· The birth of Jaylan and our first week together

· Understanding Down Syndrome and finding out what it meant for us and Jaylan himself

· Our first year with Jaylan

· Health issues affecting Jaylan

· Finding out what support is available

· Finding schools for him and the challenges we faced

· The challenge of adulthood

· Challenges we face in society

· The future prospects for someone with Down Syndrome

So, what is Down Syndrome?

Down Syndrome is a genetic condition where an individual is born with an extra chromosome. Babies born with Down Syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21. Having a duplicate chromosome affects the way one’s body and brain develops, resulting in mental, medical and physical challenges, including the ones listed below:-

Mental

Lower than average IQ

Take longer to learn to speak

Impulsive behaviour

Medical Complications

Short attention span

Hearing loss

Heart defects

Obesity

More susceptible to infections and illnesses like colds and the flu

Physical features

a flattened face

an enlarged tongue hard to conceal within the mouth

small hands and feet

shorter in height