George Will Affirms Goodness of Life with Down Syndrome

by jphilo | May 28, 2013 | Advocacy, Different Dream, Special Needs Parenting

George Will Affirms Goodness of Life with Down Syndrome

Many of the parents who visit DifferentDream.com are raising young children. Maybe you’re one of them. A deep desire of my heart, as the parent of an adult child who had special needs when he was young, is to give you encouragement and a vision of life for your children when they become adults.

Meet George Will, Special Needs Dad

George Will is best known as a conservative political columnist. But he’s also the father of four children, and his oldest child, Jon, lives with Down Syndrome. About a year ago in one of his columns, George Will celebrated the life of Jon, who turned 40 on May 4, 2012. Will says this about the timing of his son’s birth:

Jon was born just 19 years after James Watson and Francis Crick published their discoveries concerning the structure of DNA, discoveries that would enhance understanding of the structure of Jon, whose every cell is imprinted with Down syndrome. Jon was born just as prenatal genetic testing, which can detect Down Syndrome, was becoming common. And Jon was born eight months before Roe v. Wade inaugurated this era of the casual destruction of pre-born babies.

Jon Will Is a Gift

George Will is proud of his son, and he wants parents to know he considers Jon a gift worthy of being born, as these words show:

Judging by Jon, the world would be improved by more people with Down Syndrome, who are quite nice, as humans go. It is said we are all born brave, trusting, and greedy, and remain greedy. People with Down Syndrome must remain brave in order to navigate society’s complexities. They have no choice but to be trusting because, with limited understanding and limited abilities to communicate misunderstanding, they, like Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” always depend on the kindness of strangers. Judging by Jon’s experience, they almost always receive it.

Jon Will Lives a Good Life

Finally, George says two things have greatly enhanced his son’s life: the Washington subway system and the Washington Nationals baseball team. Jon’s dad says, “He navigates the subway expertly, riding it to the Nationals ballpark, where he enters the clubhouse a few hours before game time and does a chore or two…Major leaguers, all of whom understand what it is to be gifted, have been uniformly and extraordinarily welcoming to Jon, who is not.”

The article, which can be found in its entirety at Jon Will’s Gift, and it’s worth reading. You might want the tissue box nearby!

What Worries You About Your Child’s Future?

I hope Jon Will’s story is an encouragement to you. But I also know some of you are anxious for your children’s futures. Young parents, what worries you most as your child gets older? Older parents, what advice can you give them? Leave a comment if you’re in need of encouragement or have encouragement to give.

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Jolene Philo is the author of several books for the caregiving community. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and Amazon. See Jane Sing!, the second book in the West River cozy mystery series, which features characters affected by disability, was released in November of 2022.

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How Can 31 Years Ago Seem Just Like Yesterday?

Thirty-one years ago today, our first child was born at 12:35 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Like all mothers, I remember the details of that day at Lookout Memorial Hospital in Spearfish, South Dakota with perfect clarity. But my memories are different than those of many other new parents. The joy of the memory of our son’s arrival is tinged with sadness and gratitude.

I remember breakfast being interrupted with the news that our son was having trouble breathing.
I remember the food going tasteless when the doctor advised transferring him to Rapid City Regional Hospital for tests.
I remember being alone when the pediatrician from Rapid City called a few hours later with a diagnosis.
I remember wishing my husband hadn’t gone to take a shower at a friend’s house.
I remember the doctor saying the words tracheoesophageal fistula for the first time.
I remember telling that stranger to life flight our newborn to the University of Nebraska Hospital in Omaha for immediate surgery.
I remember crying so hard my husband could hardly understand my words when he returned.
I remember him taking my hand and praying for our son while tears streamed down my face.
I remember when the call arrived that our son had survived the trip.
I remember the surgeon calling at midnight to say Allen was doing well after surgery.
I remember my relief and more tears when once again, I relayed the doctor’s words to my husband.

For thirty years now, I have relived the events of that day every May twenty-third. I glance at the clock throughout the day and think the same thoughts.

This is when the doctor interrupted breakfast.
About now, the call came from Rapid City with a diagnosis.
Allen took his first airplane ride on an afternoon like this.
He went into surgery about now.

The rest of this post can be found at the Not Alone website.

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the quarterly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.

By

Jolene Philo is the author of several books for the caregiving community. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and Amazon. See Jane Sing!, the second book in the West River cozy mystery series, which features characters affected by disability, was released in November of 2022.