This was my beloved baby brother. He was just shy of being 4 years younger than myself, born on our Daddy's birthday.
Jason was born with Down syndrome. He also had a hole in his heart that kept it from working to its full capacity, a defect so common in children born with this chromosomal abnormality.
For any of you reading this bio who had a loved one born with this condition in the 1960's or earlier, you may remember the prognosis and the "advice" often given to parents when their child was born with Down syndrome. My parents received this same advice, just to "let him die" - you can bet that wasn't going to happen in our home !! Jason was brought home from the hospital to be loved and cared for, with the hopes he would thrive and grow stronger. Regardless of how long Jason was to be loaned to us by our Loving Father, he would be a complete part of our family.
I was thrilled to have a baby brother. As time went by, I noticed he wasn't able to do the same things my friends' younger siblings were doing. I remember asking Daddy about it when Jason turned 3, and he told me that Jason was "special" and was always going to need a little more time for learning the things I did so naturally.
He was a delightful, loving child, always wanting to keep up and do what all the other kids were doing. He loved books and stories, and music, both to listen to it and to sing along. He loved ice cream !! One of his favorite places was his school - he never wanted to miss a day. I remember him enjoying the old TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard," both for the car AND Daisy Duke... ;)
And he loved "Sister"! We were typical siblings, equal parts of love and fights. He knew how to be a little brother, getting into my things, teasing me to the point I yelled, which obviously delighted him into doing it again and again :) One vacation I remember well - we rode in the back seat of the car with a suitcase between us, and he found a place he could reach between the seat and the suitcase and poke me, making me fuss back at him......like I said, typical siblings !! But let someone tease or torment him because of his condition, and my red-headed temper would rise to protect my little brother.
We lost our Momma in Oct 1974 after a five-year battle with breast cancer, which was diagnosed soon after Jason was born. Can you imagine the pain she suffered, knowing she had two young children and a husband who needed her and she wouldn't be there?
More to come, bio in progress...
Jason was born with Down syndrome. He also had a hole in his heart that kept it from working to its full capacity, a defect so common in children born with this chromosomal abnormality.
For any of you reading this bio who had a loved one born with this condition in the 1960's or earlier, you may remember the prognosis and the "advice" often given to parents when their child was born with Down syndrome. My parents received this same advice, just to "let him die" - you can bet that wasn't going to happen in our home !! Jason was brought home from the hospital to be loved and cared for, with the hopes he would thrive and grow stronger. Regardless of how long Jason was to be loaned to us by our Loving Father, he would be a complete part of our family.
I was thrilled to have a baby brother. As time went by, I noticed he wasn't able to do the same things my friends' younger siblings were doing. I remember asking Daddy about it when Jason turned 3, and he told me that Jason was "special" and was always going to need a little more time for learning the things I did so naturally.
He was a delightful, loving child, always wanting to keep up and do what all the other kids were doing. He loved books and stories, and music, both to listen to it and to sing along. He loved ice cream !! One of his favorite places was his school - he never wanted to miss a day. I remember him enjoying the old TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard," both for the car AND Daisy Duke... ;)
And he loved "Sister"! We were typical siblings, equal parts of love and fights. He knew how to be a little brother, getting into my things, teasing me to the point I yelled, which obviously delighted him into doing it again and again :) One vacation I remember well - we rode in the back seat of the car with a suitcase between us, and he found a place he could reach between the seat and the suitcase and poke me, making me fuss back at him......like I said, typical siblings !! But let someone tease or torment him because of his condition, and my red-headed temper would rise to protect my little brother.
We lost our Momma in Oct 1974 after a five-year battle with breast cancer, which was diagnosed soon after Jason was born. Can you imagine the pain she suffered, knowing she had two young children and a husband who needed her and she wouldn't be there?
More to come, bio in progress...
This was my beloved baby brother. He was just shy of being 4 years younger than myself, born on our Daddy's birthday.
Jason was born with Down syndrome. He also had a hole in his heart that kept it from working to its full capacity, a defect so common in children born with this chromosomal abnormality.
For any of you reading this bio who had a loved one born with this condition in the 1960's or earlier, you may remember the prognosis and the "advice" often given to parents when their child was born with Down syndrome. My parents received this same advice, just to "let him die" - you can bet that wasn't going to happen in our home !! Jason was brought home from the hospital to be loved and cared for, with the hopes he would thrive and grow stronger. Regardless of how long Jason was to be loaned to us by our Loving Father, he would be a complete part of our family.
I was thrilled to have a baby brother. As time went by, I noticed he wasn't able to do the same things my friends' younger siblings were doing. I remember asking Daddy about it when Jason turned 3, and he told me that Jason was "special" and was always going to need a little more time for learning the things I did so naturally.
He was a delightful, loving child, always wanting to keep up and do what all the other kids were doing. He loved books and stories, and music, both to listen to it and to sing along. He loved ice cream !! One of his favorite places was his school - he never wanted to miss a day. I remember him enjoying the old TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard," both for the car AND Daisy Duke... ;)
And he loved "Sister"! We were typical siblings, equal parts of love and fights. He knew how to be a little brother, getting into my things, teasing me to the point I yelled, which obviously delighted him into doing it again and again :) One vacation I remember well - we rode in the back seat of the car with a suitcase between us, and he found a place he could reach between the seat and the suitcase and poke me, making me fuss back at him......like I said, typical siblings !! But let someone tease or torment him because of his condition, and my red-headed temper would rise to protect my little brother.
We lost our Momma in Oct 1974 after a five-year battle with breast cancer, which was diagnosed soon after Jason was born. Can you imagine the pain she suffered, knowing she had two young children and a husband who needed her and she wouldn't be there?
More to come, bio in progress...
Jason was born with Down syndrome. He also had a hole in his heart that kept it from working to its full capacity, a defect so common in children born with this chromosomal abnormality.
For any of you reading this bio who had a loved one born with this condition in the 1960's or earlier, you may remember the prognosis and the "advice" often given to parents when their child was born with Down syndrome. My parents received this same advice, just to "let him die" - you can bet that wasn't going to happen in our home !! Jason was brought home from the hospital to be loved and cared for, with the hopes he would thrive and grow stronger. Regardless of how long Jason was to be loaned to us by our Loving Father, he would be a complete part of our family.
I was thrilled to have a baby brother. As time went by, I noticed he wasn't able to do the same things my friends' younger siblings were doing. I remember asking Daddy about it when Jason turned 3, and he told me that Jason was "special" and was always going to need a little more time for learning the things I did so naturally.
He was a delightful, loving child, always wanting to keep up and do what all the other kids were doing. He loved books and stories, and music, both to listen to it and to sing along. He loved ice cream !! One of his favorite places was his school - he never wanted to miss a day. I remember him enjoying the old TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard," both for the car AND Daisy Duke... ;)
And he loved "Sister"! We were typical siblings, equal parts of love and fights. He knew how to be a little brother, getting into my things, teasing me to the point I yelled, which obviously delighted him into doing it again and again :) One vacation I remember well - we rode in the back seat of the car with a suitcase between us, and he found a place he could reach between the seat and the suitcase and poke me, making me fuss back at him......like I said, typical siblings !! But let someone tease or torment him because of his condition, and my red-headed temper would rise to protect my little brother.
We lost our Momma in Oct 1974 after a five-year battle with breast cancer, which was diagnosed soon after Jason was born. Can you imagine the pain she suffered, knowing she had two young children and a husband who needed her and she wouldn't be there?
More to come, bio in progress...
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Loved by all he touched, Touched by many
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Thank you SO much to cheekybones for sponsoring my brother's memorial. I appreciate you more than I can say !!!!
