Our Sister, Our Friend, Grace
Our Little Sister Grace
Gracie Girl or
What’s Special About Grace?
Hi, we’re Travis and Jessica. We have a special little sister, Grace.
Grace dances, rides a bicycle, plays T-ball, loves music, rides horses, loves to swim, jumps on the trampoline, but most of all she loves us and really everyone unconditionally.
Our sister is a lot like you and us, but she is also a little different. She was born with something called Down Syndrome and has an extra chromosome. Some people call the extra chromosome the "love" chromosome. If you spend anytime with Grace, you’ll see she really does love everyone-- that is how God made her.
Chromosomes are bits of information that make up who we are. Our chromosomes say we have green eyes, but Grace’s and our mom’s are brown. Chromosomes tell what color your hair is, if you are a boy or a girl, and things like that.
Sometimes having an extra of something is good, like an extra piece of cake, or an extra piece of pizza, or even an extra turn. An extra chromosome isn’t as nice. Grace’s body has too much information and at times makes it harder for her to do something. It isn’t that she can’t do something, it is just that it may take her longer to do it. For example, when you were a baby, you may have walked when you were 1 year old, Grace walked just before she turned two. When Grace was little she didn’t talk right away, but instead knew sign language and used signs to talk. It was really neat! Now she can talk and doesn’t need to use the signs.
Imagine how you might feel if you couldn’t do something as fast as kids around you could. . You’d try harder to do them right? Well that is what Grace does, but she must work even harder than you would, yet it might take her longer to do it.
Sometimes, when too much information comes in too fast, it makes it hard for Grace to understand. Like at dance, if a new dance step is taught, Grace will watch first, think about it, and then try it.
(Sometimes thinking is hard for Grace when too much information comes in. Like at dance, she will watch first and then try a new dance routine.)
We hope this helps you know our sister and friend a little better. Grace is a wonderful sister and is a great friend to many. We love to play and laugh together. That is what brothers and sisters do.
Grace wants to be your friend too. Down Syndrome isn’t something you can catch like a cold. Grace just has a harder time doing some things that are easy for you.
So next time you need a partner, or someone to play with, ask Grace. She is a great sister and a wonderful friend.