‘She’

‘She’

By Alex Traub, age 14

She loves to say hi and gives lots of hugs I help her by playing and I read to her she teaches me to be patient be kind and to see things in a different view. She loves to help me with the chores she loves to eat her favourite balls (which she calls Malteasers) she adores watching her iPad and drawing she loves to watch Peppa Pig she loves to read books she loves to play in her play kitchen she loves to run and kick a ball she loves to play on the trampoline she uses her imagination a lot like she turns a box into a car she loves to have her favourite sauce – tomato sauce she has it on everything! She loves to play with her duplo, she loves to eat fish, lasagne, and dumplings.

She lives with Down syndrome. It is caused by having 3 copies of chromosome 21. Down syndrome causes delayed physical growth. In New Zealand, 50 to 80 babies are born with Down syndrome each year. John Down was the one who discovered Down syndrome that is an unfortunate name because there’s nothing Down about it! This term, Down syndrome, wasn’t accepted till the 1970s. There is a World Down Syndrome Day on the 21st of March. A common feature is they have excess skin on the back of their neck and small ears.

She is my sister She is Emma

Congratulation to Alex who has won a book voucher from Time Out Books for this excellent poem! You can submit your entries to editor@nzdsa.org.nz. Poems can be on any subject and by anyone!