Downs

By DeWayne Laffey

Downs is the story of a special girl named Shannon who has Down Syndrome. She is excited about starting her first year of middle school considering the obstacles she overcame to get there. However, she is not alone in her lifes journey; she has her wonderful sister to help her when things get rough. Her sister has been with her through thick and thin; her sister is beautiful, smart, loving andshes dead. Shannons sister protects her from the world that sees her as disabled and unable to be productive in society. She will do anything for Shannon, evenkill.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 8, 2009
• ISBN: 9781462834372

DeWayne Laffey

DeWayne Laffey is the father of a Down Syndrome girl. However, unlike the book his daughter has a living younger sister and an older brother. As a parent of a Down Syndrome child, I wanted to write a book that thrills the reader as well as educates people about Down Syndrome which is one of the most common genetic defects in the world. Downs is the story of a special girl named Shannon who has Down Syndrome. She is excited about starting her first year of middle school considering the obstacles she overcame to get there. However, she is not alone in her life’s journey; she has her wonderful sister to help her when things get rough. Her sister has been with her through thick and thin; her sister is beautiful, smart, loving and…dead. Shannon’s sister protects her from the world that sees her as disabled and unable to be productive in society. She will do anything for Shannon; even…kill.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

The warm rays of the sun seeped through the blinds and onto Shannon’s face. Shannon lay in her bed thinking it was going to be another hot day. However, today was different, it was the first day of the new school year and she was going to start middle school. She was very excited. She worked hard all summer to get to the level she needed in order to start middle school.

Shannon was different from the other kids. Shannon had Down Syndrome and she would be older than the other students in her sixth grade class. Like many kids with Down Syndrome, she was able to learn, but it was difficult for her to comprehend things such as Math and Science. She already had been kept back in a couple grades along the way. Just like the regular population, Down Syndrome kids have different levels of intelligence. Shannon was on the higher end of the scale and was able to overcome a lot of the difficulties of learning early on, but as she grew and succeeded to the next class levels, the subjects became harder and harder. Math and Science were just not sinking in and she began to struggle. Shannon was a hard worker and was able to accomplish many things with the help of her mother. She had come a long way and she was proud of herself for making it to middle school.

Shannon rolled over to her side and looked toward her bedroom door, which was across the room from her bed. Her bedroom looked similar to many young girls’ bedrooms. It had animal posters on the wall as well as assorted stuffed animals scattered about the room. She had a nice desk that her mother re-finished. There was a bookcase next to her bed that was filled with all types of books from Dr. Seuss to a children’s encyclopedia.

She had a large dresser along one wall of the room. On top of the dresser were Shannon’s most prized possessions, her trophies and medals. She had trophies from her girl’s softball leagues and medals from her Special Olympic Games. She loved her trophies and always knew exactly how many she had.

Shannon had been awake for a while that morning due to her excitement. The sun shined through the blinds and was beginning to bother her so she blinked her eyes a couple of times as she lay in the bed.

Just then a face popped up next to her bed with an ear-to-ear grin and yelled Boo!

Cut that out, Jenny, said Shannon as she pulled herself up in the bed.

I don’t have time to play around today because it’s my first day of middle school. She said swinging her legs out of the bed and jumping to the floor.

Jenny sat on the floor and rolled backwards in a somersault and sprung back to her feet when she completed the move.

How many times have I told you Shannon, I can teach you everything you need to know myself.

You don’t need to go to school.

Jenny looked like most eleven year old girls and was very cute. She could easily win any young girls beauty pageant with little effort. Shannon could see how beautiful Jenny was and knew she will always look the way other Downs kids look. Shannon’s face had the distinctive traits of a kid with Down Syndrome. Her eyes were slanted and she had the small, pudgy almost turned up nose. Her ears were small and flat against her head. When her mouth was open it always seemed her tongue was too big for it. She was small for her age. Shannon was almost fourteen years old and was only four and a half feet tall. She wasn’t overweight like many Downs kids tend to be; she was a little thick her Dad would tell her.

Jenny was already taller than Shannon by five inches. She was very slender and had long legs. Jenny liked to wear dancing leotards because she was always interested in dancing. She was wearing a solid black leotard with gold trim around the edges of the arms and legs. When she moved about the room, she would do it in dance steps.

Shannon had her head in her dresser drawer looking for the shirt and shorts she wanted to wear on her first day of school. Jenny was throwing clothes out from the bedroom closet and humming to herself. Shannon found what she wanted and turned toward the closet.

Jenny!

Stop making a mess, you’re going to get me into trouble again. Shannon said while she pulled her shirt over her head.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and the door slowly opened. A head peered in from around the corner and a voice said,

Are you ready yet?

You don’t want Mom yelling up here for us to come down.

She is already having a bad morning and I don’t want to make it worse by being late on our first day of school.

I’m ready and I was just coming downstairs Cory. Shannon said.

Cory was Shannon’s older brother and was a junior in high school. He and Shannon got along pretty well, but Cory never really knew how to treat her. Cory sometimes felt his parents were too hard on Shannon. His Mom and Dad were very interested in Shannon’s success at school and in the sports she played, but outside of that they never gave her a lot of emotional support. They wanted Shannon to be independent and learn to do things herself. Her parents knew they weren’t going to be around forever and Shannon needed a good foundation to be able to continue to live after they were gone. Many times as she was growing up, Shannon was left to figure things out for herself; even when she became extremely frustrated, her parents would push her to do it. They’re approach was to treat Shannon no different than they would treat any other kid regardless of her condition. He remembered back when Shannon started playing girl’s softball, Shannon was afraid of the ball when it was coming to her. Her Dad took her out in the backyard with some tennis balls and started throwing them right at her. Shannon would try and move the glove but most times the ball would hit her in the chest or shoulder. She would tell her Dad to stop, but he would have three or four tennis balls and would keep hitting her with them. Eventually she was able to move the glove quicker to get to the ball. Her Dad and Mom felt many parents of Downs kids were too obsessive with protecting them. They felt this approach would add to the strain a Downs child would have to endure later on in life when the protection is no longer there. Cory tried to balance the protection and the independence a little with his sister.

Before Cory could turn around to head for the stairs, the booming voice came from the kitchen downstairs, Let’s go up there!

Shannon looked at Cory and smiled, they both headed down the stairs. As the two left the room, Jenny was sitting on a small pile of clothes near the bedroom closet with her arms crossed.

Shannon is not going to like middle school, she mumbled and then fell back into the pile.

While Cory and Shannon approached the bottom of the stairs, Cory pulled Shannon’s arm gently and turned to her, Now be careful what you say to Mom this morning, do you remember what today is?

Shannon said with a small grin, I sure do, it’s my first day of middle school.

Not that, Cory said, The other thing, do you remember the other thing about today?

Shannon was puzzled and stood at the bottom of the stairs looking at her brother. He grabbed both of her arms, which were by her side and he turned her body so they were facing each other. He moved his face close to hers.

Today is Jenny’s birthday, remember?

She would have been eleven years old today.

Shannon nodded and said; I know that, because she has been reminding me all week.

Cory shook Shannon a little and said, You need to stop talking about Jenny as if she were alive.

I can’t believe you are still playing that childish game.

It’s not a childish game and I see Jenny all the time. Shannon snapped.

Cory had known for many years that Shannon talked to their dead sister. When Shannon first brought it up years ago, Cory thought Shannon had one of those make believe friends that many kids grow up with. Cory warned her the very first time she mentioned it, not to ever bring it up to Mom or Dad. Cory knew their Mom had a very hard time dealing with Jenny’s death and in many ways, has not gotten over it. Jenny was the daughter their mother dreamed of having. She loved Shannon and thought of her as her special daughter, but when she found out she was going to have another girl all those years ago, she couldn’t wait for her to be born. She was finally going to have a normal daughter that she could do things with the same way she did with her mother. Her husband, Tom who was Cory and Shannon’s Dad was the typical father to his son. He helped him in all the things Dads do with their sons as he grew. He coached little league baseball and went to his son’s soccer games. How she longed for the day when she could do similar things with her new daughter.

The birth of her daughter Jennifer, Jenny as Shannon called her, was routine. The family was there to see the baby in the recovery room after she was born. Shannon didn’t really remember too much about it. Cory remembers seeing Jenny and thinking how beautiful she was. Even Cory was excited at the thought of being a big brother to a normal sister. Everybody fussed over the new baby in the hospital; Cory and Shannon’s mother were beaming with pride.

Nobody knew what happened and the doctors and nurses were dumbfounded. The second night in the hospital, the nurse went in to get the baby from the nursery for a late night feeding. She reached into the little crib and felt coldness from the new baby. She immediately knew there was nothing she could do. Their new sister was gone for reasons no one could ever explain. Lynn’s world came crashing down as a result of her death. The strain on the family was immense for a number of years afterwards. Just when Tom thought Lynn was finally passed the pain, something would come up to open the wound.

Let me go Cory, I need to eat breakfast, Shannon said as she pulled free from Cory’s grasp and walked into the kitchen.

Hi Mom, hi Dad, Shannon said as she came through the doorway.

Dad was seated at the breakfast table with a cup of coffee and the morning paper. Mom was by the toaster pulling a couple of Pop Tarts out when Cory came into the kitchen. Good morning Dad, Mom, Cory said as he pulled a chair away from the table to sit down.

I’m sitting there, said Shannon as she came over and grabbed the back of the chair.

Let’s not start this again, Cory said as he started to pull the chair away from Shannon.

Shannon gave the chair another tug toward her, I always sit here.

Lynn, do they have to do this every other morning? Dad asked Shannon’s Mom as he put the sports section of the paper down.

Lynn walked over and put a plate with two Pop Tarts on the table the opposite side Shannon and Cory were. Whoever wants the Pop Tarts, come over here; sit down and eat them.

It was apparent Lynn had been crying. Her eyes were still watery and she was sniffling after she spoke. You know what Tom, you handle it today, because I just can’t take it. With that she ran into the downstairs bathroom and slammed the door.

Tom looked at both Shannon and Cory with a very cold stare as he picked up his coffee and walked to the kitchen sink. That’s great, of all the mornings to play the ‘I’m Sitting Here’ game.

Do you two ever think of your mother?

Just maybe today of all days, the both of you could get along. He said as he poured the rest of his coffee in the sink.

Now your mother will be in the bathroom for the next half hour and I gotta go to work.

Shannon quickly and quietly moved to the side of the table where the Pop Tarts were. Cory pushed the empty chair back toward the table and went to the refrigerator to get some orange juice.

Cory, are you still taking your sister to school today? Tom said.

Yes Dad, since Shannon is now in middle school and is too big to have her parents drop her off, I guess it is okay for big brother to do it.

I’ll drop her off on my way to school, he quickly added.

Its not like we’re asking you to do this all year, we only need you to do this the first week until Shannon gets used to the new school.

I know, I know that’s what you say now, but I’m betting she won’t be taking the bus, this year, Cory responded.

Shannon nodded as she bit into the Pop Tart in her hand. Could I have some orange juice please? she said to her brother as he carried the carton over to the counter where his glass was.

I’ll pour you some, just a sec.

Shannon’s Dad walked over to the backpack lying on the floor and picked it up. He wondered to himself if everything Shannon needed for her first day of school was in there. He really didn’t want to bother Lynn since he could still hear her in the bathroom crying.

Hey Shannon, do you have all the paperwork you need for the school in here? Dad asked as he fumbled through the backpack as if he knew what to look for.

Just then the bathroom door swung open and Lynn came over to where Dad