A US mum has penned a moving account of her daughter's first words at age 14.
Keli Gooch's daughter Tayler has down-syndrome, a condition that has left her mostly non-verbal.
Writing for Today, she opened up about her experience raising Tayler and how much of a difference a few words make.
"My 14-year-old daughter Tayler has Down syndrome. When she was born, she had to be resuscitated 3 times. Besides hypothyroidism, sleep difficulties, and hyperinsulinemia, she is pretty healthy.
"But she is unable to communicate and is considered non-verbal. Sign language has not been an option for us because that requires fine motor skills that she has difficulty with."
Tayler's teachers told Keli that her daughter has been trying to form words, but she wasn't prepared for what happened after their Sunday dinner.
"I just developed a meal of baked chicken coated with an unmentioned dressing. Nothing quite special. The cooked chicken rested quietly in a metal pan, with a simple salad alongside it. After dinner, my husband let the leftover chicken cool before returning it to its home in the refrigerator. As I was leaving the room, I heard my husband say, “Tayler, what are you doing with that tray?
"Tayler lightly walked with both hands cupped on either side of the tray. I glanced quickly as she ended her stroll at our garbage can. She tilted the worn metal tray slightly and said, 'Throw it away.'"
Keli's husband let out a roar of laughter, while she simply stared in disbelief. Keli said that as a mum, she was hit with an overwhelming sense of pride that Tayler had spoken her first words.
She went on to describe the struggle of being a mother of a disabled child. She said she felt anger and fear over what Tayler's future would hold for her.
"The multiple hospitalisations and frequent doctor visits created a deep desperation to discover “Why.” I do believe that having Down syndrome is like a Four Leaf Clover. It is something that just happens. On the rough days, I’ll do my best to throw away the “Why can’t it be easier?” thoughts and remember that her differences are simply a part of her uniqueness and beauty."
She wrote a searingly honest account of it was like to deal with people's judgement when she's out with Tayler. "The stares sometimes bother me. What will people think if she “has a meltdown”? What will they say when she reaches out for a hug?
"What if she kisses them on the cheek? Will they feel weird?"
Although those three words seem so simple, Keli says that they meant so much more in their philosophy. "I hope other parents will take Tayler’s advice. Even if life has thrown some seemingly insurmountable obstacles and you are faced with unexpected twists and turns, or even if you just made sub par chicken, you might want to take Tayler’s advice and throw a few things away."
