I am Wency David, and my son Gerard Lorenzo, whom we fondly call Gelo, has Down Syndrome and co-morbid autism (diagnosed at 6yrs of age). His condition has caused him limited speech, and generally slow in development and learning. In some way, this has brought out his resilience and tenacity: Gelo learns things at his own pace with encouragement, and he can surprise you with new developments every day. He loves the outdoors: romping in the playgrounds around our neighborhood, going swimming, and riding his bicycle. He also loves music, and has figured out YouTube on his own, searching for cartoons and music videos of Hi-5, Higgly Town Heroes, and Ben & Holly.
As Gelo was conceived just before my wife turned 35, a First Trimester Test was recommended and done. The results showed there was a high chance that he had Down Syndrome, and we were offered an additional test and options. We declined to have this, as it would not have changed our decision to keep him. We were deeply troubled though, and up until my wife’s delivery, kept hoping and praying that Gelo would be without problems. Then Gelo was born and his condition was confirmed. At that moment, we did not see our baby with Down Syndrome, but rather an adorable and precious child who meant the world to us. All doubts and fears disappeared, only us and our child whatever the challenges. And challenges came soon enough. In only his 5th day, he had to undergo emergency surgery for his duodenal atresia, and a stay at the NICU for 2 weeks. Then he contracted Bronchiolitis, Pneumonia, all necessitating long hospital stays over a span of 3 months. Throughout all these, it was our family, friends, and our Catholic Faith that kept us strong.
Gelo is now 8 years old. He is enrolled at AWWA, a good school for children with special needs. We also enrolled him for Occupational therapy and Speech therapy, to help along his development. It is admittedly tough to raise a child with his condition, but we look beyond that, and we see his innocent and unconditional love for everyone around him that makes it all easier.