You might not know the history of Down Syndrome, and today we're going to talk about a little known fact regarding the person for which it's named.
We all realize that the history of individuals with disabilities is not a pretty one. The freedoms and supports that many enjoy today were not possible in years past. And we are of course keenly aware of the battles that we are still fighting for respect and dignity.
John Langdon Down
John Langdon Down was a medical doctor in Britain in the 19th century who closely studied individuals with the unique characteristics associated with what would later be named for him. Of course at that time no one had any idea of what DNA was, nor that this had anything to do with it. Langdon opened a private hospital for treating individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. He wrote against slavery in the United States and was an advocate for the unity of humanity.
It wasn't until 1961, nearly seventy years after his death, that the term Down Syndrome was widely adopted in the medical community to replace other, less tasteful terminology. The hospital that he created is now the home of the Down's Syndrome Association, and its Victorian Architecture reminds us of the rich history of Trisomy 21. See the picture at the bottom of the page for a link to the Langdon Down Centre at Normansfield.
Family Legacy
Both of John Langdon Down's sons became medical doctors and worked alongside their father. His son Reginald became a father for the first time in 1905, nearly ten years after John Langdon Down's death. That child was a boy who was named for his grandfather - John Langdon.
In one of the most amazing turns in medical history, this child was born with what would later be known as Down Syndrome. Reginald, who had carried on his father's research, was never able to come to terms with his son's limitations. His wife is also known to have struggled with her son.
Reginald did, however, continue his research on the symptoms and development of Down Syndrome after his son's birth. And while we don't know much about John Langdon Down the younger, we do know that despite his parent's struggles, he lived with the family until his death at the age of 65 and is included in family pictures throughout his life.
What can we learn from this? First of all, that no one is immune to special needs. Second, that we have come a long way! And third, we find that even those who we would think most prepared for raising a child with special needs are still human, and still face the same challenges that the rest of us do.
vestidd.com
|
