Mollie's Story

To be asked to write about our oldest granddaughter, Mollie, is an honor I embrace. Let me begin at her birth, when the doctors were not sure, at first, of her diagnosis-that is because Mollie has a very rare type of Down Syndrome. She has Translocation 21/21 Down Syndrome, which means she has 46 chromosomes like everyone else, but has two 21 chromosomes attached to each other, giving her the same amount of chromosomal material as someone with Trisomy 21 Down Syndrome. Mollie's Daddy and Mama "adjusted" in about two weeks and then began to read all that was available about Down Syndrome.

As I look back on that time, 24 years ago, I smile to myself thinking about all the dearness of our family and friends. Whatever needed to be done to help Mollie was done. Infant stimulation was the first suggestion and we all learned to do that. In that first year, David, Mollie's father, had a business trip to Florida and Frank, my husband, and I said we'd take care of Mollie so that Mary Anne could go, too. My two dear friends, Elly and Lois, came to our home and learned what to do to stimulate Mollie's muscles and stayed with her during the time I had to be in our business office.

Mollie went to the Jayne Shover Easter Seal Center in Elgin, Illinois during those days. Another sister, Mary Emily, came along, and then wonder of wonders, David was offered a position here in Indianapolis. Mollie attended school in Washington Township, Marion County. She participated in Special Olympics, special classes, and Sunday Morning Religious Education at St. Luke, their family parish.

Our precious granddaughter was then accepted into Cardinal Ritter High School and the special curriculum they offered would give her the opportunity to try for a high school diploma- something which Washington Township would not allow. Once again, Mollie's Daddy and Mama made the commitment to drive Mollie to high school across town. Here, too, she was involved in even more than lessons. She was the manager of the Volleyball team all four years. When she was a sophomore, her classmates selected her as their Homecoming Princess and part of the Homecoming Court.

After completing her special years at Cardinal Ritter and with much help from Noble of Indiana, Mollie entered Marian College for the opportunity to live on her own and go to college- just like the rest of her Cardinal Ritter classmates. We had a dear and treasured reception when Mollie completed 2 years at Marian.

Then, her call came to Grandma B.- "I got the job!" Yep, our Mollie now has a full-time job with Parisian at Keystone at the Crossing and her own apartment.

Thank you, God, Noble of Indiana, Family and Friends.