An essay by my younger brother, David, his junior year of high school.
David DAN the MAN Fall 2009
One of my friends walked up to me yesterday, “Dave, I got a great video to show you!” He pulled out his phone, and showed me a video of my little brother, Daniel, dancing in the football dressing room. As it turns out, most of my buddies who were in the locker room ad the same video! Daniel was born with Down Syndrome, so there are a lot of things he cannot do, but he can dance!
Having a little brother like Daniel is an experience that no one can understand unless he has been there. Daniel is the youngest of seven children, and our whole family wouldn’t be who we are today without him.
There are many lessons we have learned from Daniel. We have learned from Daniel. We have learned to be patient, to accept people who are different, to be more compassionate, to give when you don’t get anything back, and to see past what someone looks like or talks like or acts like. The main thing Daniel gives us is joy.
I really have to be slow and patient with Daniel. Patience is a requirement for anyone dealing with a Down Syndrome person. He is a slow learner, and it is necessary to repeat things many times. Patience is not only required when trying to teach, it is required many times just in everyday situations. Dan doesn’t always react the way other people do. If he doesn’t get his way, he may “freeze up,” or start crying, or even yelling. He does this anywhere, and sometimes it is hard to deal with. At these times, he is not reasonable, and I have to step back and be patient.
Before Daniel, I think most of my family was uncomfortable around “special needs” people. Now, we know how to talk with them and to treat them just like anyone else. People who meet Daniel might think he’s slow and dull and weird. Dan really has a great personality and a good sense of humor. He’s the happiest person I have ever known. Meeting him, a person would not see this.
Compassion is key to opening up with someone like Dan. He shows more love than anybody I’ve ever met in my life. If I were to go up and give a hug to someone I had never met in my life before, we would consider it strange. The first thing “Dan the Man” does to each and every one of my friends, whether it’s the first time or not, is give them a big, long hug. Every person that walks through “his” front door is a new friend.
After knowing Daniel for as long as I have, and learning exactly how to treat, greet, care for, stand up for, and hang out with him, conversing with special needs kids at my school is no different from any other student. The only difference is that the special needs students are extremely nicer, and easier to talk to for the first time rather than anybody else. Dan has taught me how to see right through things like Down Syndrome and know the person for who they are, not what they are.
Everyone is different in his own way, and Daniel is different in the best way possible. If someone were to ask me, “If there was a way to cure Down Syndrome at birth, would you go back and do it? I would say NO! There is not one things I would change about Dan the Man, he made me who I am and I love him just the way he is.
Real life with Dan! 