Hi there,
My name is Erin Sinclair; I was born with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome occurs in about 1 in 700 births and it is an extra chromosome caused by an error in cell division. Many parents of Down Syndrome children experience so many different emotions after the baby is born: such as confusion, hurt, or even anger. As time goes by, everyone begins to realize how wonderful it is to have a child with Down Syndrome. Take it from me, as a Down Syndrome child, I was loved by my family, and even though I have a disability I enjoy living a life with Down Syndrome. This is me now.
A while ago, I lost myself in depression and I couldn’t get out of it. I also got sick physically and I couldn’t take care of myself anymore. I got into junk food and then I ended up in the hospital and had to live in a care home, which was a choice my parents made for me because I needed to get better. I lived there for one year. After that, I moved into supported housing. There are people that help me lose weight, but I did the hard work myself. I finally got better from depression and I had to re-learn my life again. I decided to fix my life. I burned my old clothes from when I weighed more. I started having routine and working on self-image, knowing what I can control and what I can’t, talking about my feelings and going to anti-stress therapy. I also go swimming, do yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, journal writing and walking.
Controlling my own life and making my own choices and decisions is a positive thing. I also like to make my own rules. I love having my own routine. When people try to take my decision making power away, I feel angry and hurt. When I can make my own choices, I do a pretty good job. I do have my stubborn ways but I am getting better at asking for help when I need it.
Now I own my own business. It’s a recycling business and we named it Blue Cat Recycling.
Written by
Erin Sinclair
