HALIE

PHOTO BY RANDY BACON

HALIE

“Down Syndrome Is A Gift”

I was born in 1995 and my parents did not know that I had Down syndrome. My family was not familiar with Down syndrome or disability. They put me on nutritional supplements and kept me healthy. They played a lot of music and put me in theater classes. I love to act, sing, and dance. I loved going to school but it was hard sometimes. High School was where I got bullied. That gave me anxiety and depression. My sister moved to college and I miss her so much. I graduated in 2014 and that summer my family joined a fitness center. I started taking Zumba classes. I love Zumba. I lost 25 pounds. I eat healthy and want to encourage others with disabilities to live their best life. I like to be happy. I like to smile and be myself.

JOSIE (Halie's mother)

As a young girl, our family did not discuss disability and we did not have students with disabilities in our classrooms. I remember those students - they seemed to be in a separate room away from us and the door to their room was closed. I didn’t know if it was to keep us away from them or to protect them from us.

When Halie was born and I heard the words “Down syndrome”, the first thing that came to mind was that closed door. Next, I heard all the things about the diagnosis. People that spoke with us didn’t understand the disability. It felt like a nightmare. I felt like she had a label that we couldn't take off. She was my third child and yes, at first she was a little floppy and she slept a lot. Within 2 months, she seemed to have more energy and she began to smile. We started to forget about the label.

We always knew Down syndrome was there, but we chose to let her lead us. We chose to provide opportunities to her that would allow her to live the best possible life. She attended school with typical peers. It wasn't easy keeping her included in our school district. But she loved her school years and had friends. She attended a lot of activities and began acting. We knew that was where she belonged. On stage, she could perform and give other families hope for their children.

Growing up with Down syndrome brought many challenges throughout her life. She had a lot of allergies, and sinus infections. In high school, she began to change. She was experiencing bullying during her lunch hour. We considered homeschooling but she loved school so much. We made changes in her schedule and seemed to help. She started to experience anxiety and depression. The anxiety was treated with medication, but it seemed to be part of her. One day realized that she would experience mental health issues just like her peers.She was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism. We decided to join the fitness center to help her get healthy. A friend invited her to her first Zumba class. When she got home, there seemed to be a light on. She found her passion in Zumba. We began to change her diet, no gluten, dairy, and limiting sugar. More changes, less anxiety, better sleep and she is living her best life again.

Our journey in life has a purpose. I live my life as an advocate for my daughter and for others so that they can live the best possible life they can. Down Syndrome is a gift. Trust that this beautiful gift it is a new way to live and a better way to live.