Stories of Wil: Hail to the hashbrown
Wil is a 13-year-old boy with Down syndrome. He is the little brother, by 20 months, to twin sisters, Katherine and Elizabeth. Wil’s mom, Christie, knew very little about Down syndrome when Wil was diagnosed shortly after his birth. It didn’t take long for Christie to realize how enriching life with Down syndrome is. Embracing this newfound life, Christie was compelled to share her experiences with Wil. Christie’s desire, in sharing these stories, is to promote an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the amazing capabilities of individuals with Down syndrome.
submitted by Christie Taylor
One school morning, as I was leaving Orange Theory Fitness from coaching an early class, I received a text from Elizabeth:“Mom, Wil is refusing to get out of bed or do anything.”
Some mornings are like that with Wil. One day he’s up and at ‘em, and the next he simply refuses to get out of bed. I quickly racked my brain for ways to encourage Wil to get up for school. On most mornings when Wil is struggling, I have the time to give him multiple hugs, tickles and make jokes to turn his mood around. However, as I worked this particular morning, when I arrived home I would not have that kind of time. Katherine and Elizabeth are very adept at working with Wil’s moods in the mornings. They are wonderful at being playful with him and encouraging him. On this morning, though, nothing they did was working. I promised Elizabeth I would think of something. Then it popped in my head.
McDonalds!
There was a McDonalds on the drive home, so I made a quick detour into the drive-thru and called Elizabeth. “Tell Wil I’ll bring him a McDonalds breakfast sandwich and hash brown if he promises to get up and dressed by the time I get home. What would you and Katherine like from McDonalds?” They both wanted hash browns (who could turn down a McDonalds hash brown?).
There were three cars in front of mine in the drive-thru. It was taking a long time and I had no time to spare. Yet, I couldn’t break a McDonald’s promise. From my place in the drive-thru line, I could see inside McDonalds. There was only one man in line. I pulled into a parking spot and dashed inside. I was greeted with a friendly smile from the McDonalds employee taking my order. In no time, I had my brown, grease-stained McDonalds bag in hand. As I ran out of McDonalds to my car, I took a quick look at the drive-thru line. Two of the three cars that were in front of mine were still waiting. I felt the thrill of a small victory as I drove home.
When I arrived home, Wil was still in his pajamas. When he saw me with the McDonalds bag, he immediately jumped for joy. I reminded him of his promise to get dressed. He literally dressed as he ate, humming the entire time. Talk about a mood changer. I felt the thrill of another victory.
Katherine, Elizabeth and Wil took their last bites of hash brown, loaded up their backpacks, and we made it to school on time. I even got a loud “I love you, Mom!” from Wil as he ran out of the car at school.
Hugs, tickles and jokes may be the healthier choice, but on this particular morning, I paid homage to the greasy, golden ticket that was the gateway to victory.
Hail to the McDonalds hash brown!
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