TRENT

PHOTO BY RANDY BACON

TRENT

“I’m Proud to Have Down Syndrome”

I was born a long time ago, in California. My name comes from a robot on the TV show Outer Limits. The doctor told my Mom and Dad I was mongoloid and they should give me to a house with other  people like me. Dad went to the library to find out what mongoloid meant. A book said I wouldn’t live very long. That book was wrong.

I am 52 years old. My sister calls me Old Man...I like it. My shoulder and knees are starting to pop. I used to like to work, but now I feel too old to work.

I am proud to have Down syndrome. Most people like to give me high 5’s and hugs. I love that! Some people are not nice and stare at me. I don’t know if they stare at me because I have Down syndrome or because my tongue is so long. I’m extra special with my tongue. Not all people with Down syndrome have it. If I see people staring or saying mean things I just ignore them, walk away, and choose to have happy thoughts.

I went to school to learn how to read a little bit. I also learned how to do chores around the house. I graduated at twenty one then worked at Goodwill and a workshop for people like me. I had a lot of friends.

I can’t do a lot of things. My brother and sister went to college and got married. I can’t do that. It makes me very sad because I want to, but I need a lot of help. I can have a girlfriend, but they’re hard to find.

A lot of things make me happy like doing my chores, watching Avenger and Jesus movies, and talking with my family. I go to bed very early—after dinner—because I like to get up at 5:00am and watch the sun come up. It’s very pretty.

I love to bowl. I have my own bowling ball and play every year with champion athletes. I also do a lot of things with the Down Syndrome Group of the Ozarks. My friends there are all like me! My favorite is when we get to dance. I play a mean air guitar.

I was a missionary kid from India. I love people from India, but I don’t like rice. There were a lot of cobras where I lived. The gardener would kill them to keep me safe, then I would hold them up by their cape. They were long as me!

Besides my friends and family, the most important thing to me is my friend, Jesus. He helped me when I was very sick in India and he always makes me happy. A long time ago, I went to the Passion Play and when the bad guys started beating Jesus with the whip, I jumped up and yelled, “Stop it!” The play stopped, so my sister took me out and explained it wasn’t real. I forgot for a second...I was trying to help my friend like he helps me. Jesus reminds me how people are supposed to treat each other and I try to do that every day. Jesus is my friend.