SYDNEY

PHOTO BY RANDY BACON

SYDNEY

“I’m Following My Heart”

Hi, my name is Sydney. I’m 20 years old, a young adult, and I have Down syndrome. It’s my disability. I have an extra chromosome. I was born with it. But I can do a lot of things. I live with mom and my dad and my younger brother. I have a big sister, a big brother, and I’m an aunt.

In high school I was a cheerleader and I loved to sing in the choir. I was Homecoming Queen. My friends and music and cheer was my life. I was scared to graduate from high school because of what came next...I didn’t know.

Now I work at MOD Pizza. It’s delicious. I go to Palmer’s House- It’s a day program where you go for fun and activities. I love to do sign language and talk to people who are deaf. I write my feelings in a journal. I take selfies and I am popular on Instagram. I work out every day and set my alarms and get ready to go to the gym with my mom. I have my schedule on my phone because I’m very busy. I have lots to do.

The hardest thing about living with Down syndrome is being different. I have a soft voice and at work I need to talk louder. I asked my mom, “Why do I have Down syndrome? Why am I different?” She said, “Honey, everyone’s different.” She told me I’m very special and perfect for who I am and I felt better. Now I’m proud of myself and my disability is part of me. The best thing about having Down syndrome is I get to live my life because I love it. I want others to know they can love me and they can love my disability. I want to be treated with kindness, love, and respect. I want to belong. I love everyone because they are my friends. I don’t like it when people are sad.

What makes me happy are all the people in my life. My dad, because he picks me up from work and we have bonding time. Fran, who runs Palmer’s House, because she talks to me about my day and teaches me how to be a grown up. Xander is my best brother and we sing the whole playlist of Hamilton. My mom...I love her very much. We have the greatest mother-daughter days of fun going to movies and acting silly on Snapchat and getting yogurt at Orange Leaf.

I am sad when I think of my grandmas because they died. They loved me and I miss them. I still see them when heaven is in the clouds. I hear them in the rain. They are beautiful angels.

My dream is to live on my own and reach my goals. I am a hardworking and independent woman. I want to move out and go to college and have an apartment, like with roommates watching TV. How I see my life is paying bills and taxes, going to get groceries, laundry, cooking my own food. I’m really good at cooking. And I can see myself driving.

Sometimes I’m scared I will miss my mom and dad. But I am capable and I’m following my heart. It says, “Go follow your dreams. You’re supposed to chase your dreams and have fun. Don’t worry about your parents. It’s hard on them to see you grow up into an adult, but they want you to be happy out in the world.” And then my heart says, “Hello world. How are you today?”