Down with Down's Dad

This was originally on the BBC Ouch! Website

Down with Down's Dad I'm not at all happy at the moment. This, despite some tremendous things going on in Stan's life: On Friday: He sat through birthday assembly and then went to the front, and blew out all his candles in the presence of the entire infant school. On Saturday: He sat through a film – Chicken Little – without getting out of his seat and getting bored. On Sunday: He did all his sound cards and matching games perfectly So why is Down's dad down? When things are going quietly and well, sometimes you can't help but think about other stuff. It's not the Down's, it's his heart. I was playing football on Friday night, I was in goal and it suddenly hit me (once again) that Stan's heart is held together, we've got an appointment in March to get it checked, it leaks and he will need another operation. This may be tomorrow or when he's 20. It's just that, whatever happens, his life expectancy won't be that of a typical child, and that, as a parent, is an incredibly hard thing to take on board. Why did this happen to me when I was playing football, on my night "off" being a dad? I'll cheer up next time, because, after all, while I was feeling sorry for myself, Stan was doing some wonderful things.