THE AMBASSADORS
Down Syndrome Supplement
BOOK REVIEW
THE AMBASSADORS
Down
Syndrome Supplement
BOOK REVIEW
Volume 2, Issues 2
April 1999
Scotland's Sheenagh wins Gold
Sheenagh is a Scottish thirty-year old
independent Gold Medalist with Trisomy-21. She was born
prematurely in October 1961 to heroic parents who succeeded with
her doctors, teachers, and psychologists to help Sheenagh to
catch up with her normal peers and win the "Baker of the
Year 1982 Gold Medal" and the "Kyle Apter Award for
Achievement" in 1989.
"WHY ME?"
SHEENAGH, with the assistance of her parents Helen and Alastair Hardie, made remarkable achievement by publishing her autobiography. Her illustrated 96-page, 11-chapter book entitled WHY ME? was published by Excalibur Press London in 1991. It includes her journey from her early neonatal period, until she became a celebrity in her hometown of Scotland. As a strong believer, she mentioned in her autobiography," Mum and Dad really felt that they had been specially chosen to be my parents. They told the specialist so, and he said it was a nice thought. Although you may think it odd, I know myself that God helped me to choose them to be my parents."
Allison: Sheenagh's deaf friend:
How many of us comprehend or can communicate in sign language? Very few indeed. So how often do you see a person with Down Syndrome who can communicate with the deaf? Sheenagh's best friend Allison, who became totally deaf when she was twelve, taught her the manual alphabet for the deaf.
"I can converse with her quite quickly using many signs," said Sheenagh. "She tells me that deaf people can be very lonely and feel isolated but it is nice when people take the trouble to learn the [sign] language." The two buddies have gone hostelling together, where Sheenagh became Allison's interpreter. The times they spent together brought them closer to one another.
"I like Allison, no, I love her-she's a really good friend to me," remarks Sheenagh. Much to her dismay, she lost her best friend in December of 1990.
Sheenagh's Interests and Achievements
The autobiography showed clearly how Sheenagh was able to catch up with the appropriate care, training and support of the Scottish Down Syndrome Asssociation (SDSA). Her hobbies include collecting autographs, stamps and postcards from all over the world. She is now a good photographer and always carries her camera in the picturesque scenery of beautiful Scotland and her journey's to Austria, Switzerland and Yugoslavia.
When the music is playing, Sheenagh is definitely in the swing of things. She enjoys nothing more than dancing.
"It took a long time to be able to stand on one foot, and even longer to learn how to hop, and to master my skipping ropes," says Sheenagh. "Now I like nothing better than to dance, hop and skip all over the place." And when the Scottish country dance music plays on the radio, television or on tape, Sheenagh gets up to dance to it (in my own fashion of course). Her personal favourite is Scottish's folk song, Scotland the Brave. When the bagpipes blow, Sheenagh says, "I enjoy getting dressed up in my kilt and going to a ceilidh - I get up for every dance."
The Golden Medal
"In 1981, the year of the disabled, other members of my club and I represented the first handicapped club to be entered in the Baker of the Year Competition, competing with NORMAL members from other youth clubs in the country. When the time came to announce the medal winners, I was overwhelmed when I came the first and dashed forward to receive my medal." Now an award-winning baker, Sheenagh's favourite work is in the bakery, saying that she really loves her work there. She also like working in woodenwork group, where she made doll houses, furniture, angelpoise lamps, drums, and a hobby horse!
Sheenagh was the first winner of the Kyle Apter's Award of Achievement for her excellent progress and accomplishments. "The story started on a Friday in November 1989. An item apeared in our local newspaper about a young Edinburgh couple called Ann and Keith Apter. Their son was born a Down Syndrome baby in July 1978, but unfortunately only lived for just 9 months. This came as a tremendous shock for both Ann and Keith. In order that Kyle's brave courage and determination to live should not be forgotten, an because in his short life, he had achieved so much and had showed great potential, his parents decided to create an award for achievement in his memory. They wanted the community to see people with DS as having potential and not just bein treated as second class citizens but able to make a worthwhile contribution to society and able to lead active and enjoyable lives. Helped by the SDSA, they got in touch with special schools, Homes, and other organizations in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders to seek out nominations. They were looking for DS people of all ages who were making the best of themselves and their lives in any aspect of achievement be it educational, artistic, sporting, coping with illness, or merely bringing happiness into a family."
Her modest comment at receiving this award was, "Why me?" An eversince, she has asked such questions as: Why she should be chosen to be Down Syndrome? What it is like to be Down Syndrome? etc.
Sheenagh's Poems
In chaper 11, she selected some of her poems and writing for publication in her autobiography. From her reflections, it is clear that Sheenagh is strongly influenced by the beauty of nature in Scotland.
FLOWERS
Lovely flowers bloom in garden in Spring,
Shooting up through the earth with their colours bright and gay,
A message of hope to us they bring,
To brighten up our day.
