WithoutWax.tv by Pete Wilson | Tag Archive | down syndrome
Tag Archive - down syndrome

Making Strides

January 10, 2012 in Cross Point Church, Family, Parenting, Relationships with 18 Comments

I don’t know if you’ve seen this latest add from Target, but I LOVE it. It features the adorable little kid named Ryan who has Down syndrome.

Time Magazine reports…

Target cast Ryan in its latest children’s clothing ad, and Nordstrom featured him in a campaign several months ago. Notably, Target did not publicize his inclusion; there were no self-congratulatory press releases or pats on the back, signaling that Ryan’s presence in the catalog was nothing out of the ordinary.

The move was praised on the blog Noah’s Dad, which is penned by a father of a special-needs child. He deemed the ad an inspiration to counter false stereotypes and look at people with fresh eyes, and lauded Target for not making a big deal out of Ryan’s casting.

Down syndrome stems from a genetic abnormality in which an extra copy of the 21st chromosome is produced. The condition affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and can be marked by cognitive delays, intellectual disabilities and increased risk of other medical conditions. Many of those afflicted with Down complete school and hold jobs, often with the help and support of family and friends.

Some of my favorite people to interact with in our lobby on Sunday mornings are children and adults with Down Syndrome. So glad they’re a part of our Cross Point family. And equally glad that pop culture is seemingly “recognizing” and “including” them in such advertisements.

I’m Ashamed

May 2, 2008 in Cross Point Church, Friends, God, Leadership, Religion with 38 Comments

We live in a culture that, for the most part, divides people into two categories. People that count and people who don’t count. People who matter and people who just don’t seem to carry a ton of weight in society. I’m ashamed to admit I have created two such categories in my heart. There are times I subconsciously lump people into one category or the other.

Yesterday, I did a funeral for a 24 year-old young man at Cross Point named Todd Keeton. Todd was the 16th person in the world born with Marden-Walker syndrome. This syndrome caused Todd to deal with many physical challenges and kept his mental ability from ever increasing above a third grade level.

This was one of the most moving funerals I have ever been a part of as three of his lifelong friends, Clay, Jeremy and Josh, (all dealing with different levels of Down Syndrome) were a part of the funeral. Josh recounted many stories about his friendship with Todd and the many memories they had created. At one point, the three presented Todd’s mom, Pam, with their Boy Scout bandanna and told her how much Todd meant to them.

After the funeral I learned the boys had advanced to the Special Olympics state championship in Bocce ball. Their match was today, but they decided to forfeit the match so they could honor their friend, Todd.

After conducting the funeral I went back into my office and shut the door to process what I had just experienced. It wasn’t long before I just started to cry. I was crying because of the overwhelming shame I felt.

These young men taught me a lot today. They taught me about the power of friendship and loyalty. They taught me about the power of unconditional love. They taught me that I have a long way to go in my spiritual transformation if I really want to be more like Jesus. Because, unlike me, they don’t have two categories. To them everyone matters and everyone counts. Thank you Clay, Jeremy, and Josh for being such good friends to Todd. And thank you for modeling Jesus to me in such a powerful way.

Mark 10: 43-44 “… Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant. Whoever wants to become the first among you must serve all of you…”

Do you ever struggle with this?

Pete