What I Love About Being a DS Mom #8

Celebrity Status

My son is famous.  Not in the "featured on E!, screaming teenagers, and gossip magazine spread" kind of way, but in the "always noticed on the streets" kind of way.  Something about his toothy smile, sparkling eyes, and Miss America wave just draws strangers in, and forces them to stop. 

  

We cannot make it through the grocery store without being stopped at least three times.  Just a few weeks ago, Eric came home from shopping with Ty and completely seriously said, "It's really hard having a cute kid...it takes forever to get through the store!"  And it's true!  People just sneak up next to the cart without warning, and begin a conversation with Ty.  They try to make him laugh, or compliment him in some way, and once he responds with his million dollar smile, I know we'll be there for a while.

Photo by Courtney MacLaren Photography

Oddly enough, not one stranger has ever commented about Ty having Down Syndrome to me before.  The only two people I've ever spoken with were in doctors' offices, and were also parents of children with Down Syndrome.  I always wonder if people know, or if they are just so drawn in by him as a person that they don't seem to notice.  To me, I see it in every detail that makes him the incredible person that he is;  Down Syndrome is part of what makes Ty, Ty, and I wouldn't change that for anything.  On the other hand, I'd like to think that outsiders are able to see past the Down Syndrome to his amazing qualities, making the diagnosis secondary to everything else.

Whatever their motivations or impressions, this "celebrity status" thing that Ty has going on is pretty darn cool.  Whether people notice that Ty has Down Syndrome or not, when strangers shamelessly compliment everything about him, it's a small step toward acceptance.  It's a reminder to me that people out there do appreciate Down Syndrome, even if it is merely in the form of an adorable toddler.      

ETA - While writing this post, I took a break to go dress shopping at the store.  In the 20 minutes it took to get in and out, we were stopped 6 times so people could pull a smile and wave out of Ty.  He just eats it up!