College Essay

Many may believe having a son/daughter, sibling, or relative who has developmental disabilities, is the “end-of-the-world” so to speak. However, I am one to prove this generalization wrong. Growing up as the middle child of a family of five, I have come to realize that living life is something special; especially when you have an older sister who puts up high standards academic wise, and an older brother who has trouble spelling to begin with.
My older brother, Cruz, was born with Down Syndrome, a disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra twenty-first chromosome. Growing up I always considered him as normal, until I was old enough to notice a difference in the way he reacted towards certain aspects of life. Going out as a family was always strange, because we had at least one person who would look at my brother with a peculiar expression. However, this has just inspired me more because I know that children and young adults with developmental disabilities have a lot more to offer to the world than many of us normal offspring.
With my brother developmentally disabled, I have grown as a person. I now realize that I can help others who may be experiencing problems with disabled children. I can also form friendly relationships with children such as my brother, and know that there is more to life than just letting each day go by. Cruz has changed my life