Success Story
Our Angel Will
Written by Will's Mother Meg
Our angel, Wilhelm Karl, was born in 2006. I remember the day we learned that he has Down Syndrome (DS). I had so many questions; What would he look like? How would we raise him? How could this happen to us? We researched DS on the web, talked with many people, and met with physicians. We wanted to do everything we could to educate ourselves so that we would be prepared.
Will and two of his sisters
Will has three sisters and we chose not to tell them until we brought him home from the hospital. We weren’t sure what to expect and decided we didn’t want to worry them before he was born. It was difficult for two youngest to comprehend because they had never met anyone with Down Syndrome. Our oldest helped calm their fears by citing examples of people she knew who had DS who were leading happy and productive lives.
We are fortunate that Will was born with no medical issues. Since the day we brought him home, he has been a bundle of joy. His bright blue eyes, warm smile, and funny giggle are infectious. I can’t imagine not wanting to give him every possible chance to succeed. However, I didn’t imagine that his education could begin so early in life. Will received services in our home from the Tompkins County Health Department's Early Intervention Program. He learned how to use sign language, to roll over, and eventually to use a walker. The sessions often involved the whole family. It was important that we be able to continue his training throughout the week.
We have been blessed with a strong support network of caregivers. Will’s day care providers, who we refer to as “Grandma” and “Papa,” were tremendously helpful. Papa designed a system to encourage Will to reach up with his arms to help build his muscles. Grandma taught Will to use a toy riding tractor which strengthened his arms and legs.
Last fall we enrolled Will in Franziska Racker Centers’ preschool program. After only three weeks he was able to stop using his walker. Will has experienced many exciting new activities – swimming with students at Ithaca College, playing with other children on the playground, arts and crafts and music and dance. His sisters are sometimes jealous when they see how much fun their brother has at the Centers!
Will and his Preschool Classroom at Wilkins Road
Every night we ask Will about his day. We don’t yet understand much of what he says but we know we will someday. We are so thankful that Will has people in his life like Patrick, Chris and Kelly at Franziska Racker Centers. They are helping him prepare for his future – a future that will be full of wonderful experiences.
