European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 13, 1980, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Doily Magazine welckers1 child Sonny mugging camera behind his Mother suffers from Down s syndrome. Sen. And mrs. Lowell p. Welcker or. With family some from previous marriages. Down s syndrome child bringing up Sonny by Jane Anderso associated press Amille Whicker wife of the Connecticut senator had a premonition something was wrong when their son was born two years ago. She was i could t sleep. Call it maternal instinct. I Don t know. I just had a feeling something was wrong she said recalling How her husband Lowell p. Wick or jr., left the Hospital for Home believing All was Well after their son s birth at 4 30 . On june 13. An hour later a Young paediatrician told her be think there s something wrung. We re going to make some Tesis. It la Lake two or three Days. Then we can Tell you for sure. The head of the Hospital genetics department arrived within is minutes. He said Camille there s no sense in waiting and in going you false Hope. Your child has Down s  mrs. Wick or then 36 and the Mother of three girls by a previous marriage was bewildered. I did t know what Down s syndrome was. I Only knew there was something wrong with my child. 1 said what is Down s syndrome they said. Well they used to Call it Mongolis "1 closed my eyes and i thought if i could just get up and walk out the door and forget this Ever happened. I fell i created something less than perfect she said. Weicker was summoned and a doctor told them mrs. Wick or recalls you do not have to Lake the baby Home. He can be nut in an institution. You do not have to Sec him again. You do not have to let it interfere  a Hrc turned to Weicker then 47 and the father of three boys by a previous marriage and said i know in your position senator it must be very awkward. Sonny was two hours old. There was no Way of knowing then if he would be severely retarded with an in of 15 or less mildly retarded As Are most Down s children or near Normal. My husband turned to the doctor and he said. I be fought a lot of fights in my life. I m nol going to turn my Back on the greatest fight of All mrs. Weicker re called. Mrs. Wick or left the Hospital that Day and the Wick cars announced their son s birth and his problem. No sense having people whisper Aboul it mrs. Wick or recalled. As she grieved for the child she had imagined their son would be and tried to accept him As he was up to 300 strangers around the nation were writing mrs. So Eicker h Art to cart letters. They All said the same thing without exception i know the grief and disappointment you re going through. You will find such love in this child lie will change your whole life if you give him a Chance " she recalled. Two Days Lacr inc weickers drove from i hair sprawl ing red Brick Home in my. Vernon va., to pick up Sonny. They then stopped at Wicker s Capitol Hill office and showed the 8 Pound 2 ounce gurgling baby to the re publican senator s staff. The baby does t look abnormal but when you say Mongolis people imagine the baby is grotesque. Showing him to people was the Only Way to convince Ihm he want mrs. Wick or said. Children with Down s syndrome which occurs once in 600 to 1,000 Lite births a c an addition Al chromosome which results in mental retardation. It is believed the extra chromosome is in the egg or sperm before conc lion or results from an error in cell division. Research shows that the older the Mother the greater the risk of Down s syndrome and the risk increases dramatically Over 35. Friday june 13, 1980 diagnosis is done through less after birth or through  a Lesl of fluid in the womb done during pregnancy.  allows a couple the Choice of continuing the pregnancy or considering abortion. Mrs. Wick or did not have . Sonny does not suffer Down s complications such As heart defects intestinal disorders or a tendency toward respiratory problems. The doctors expect that Sonny will fall into the barely retarded Range which is a double edged Silva lion. He will be Bright enough to function bul Bright enough to know that he s different and Bright enough for us to be frustrated at what he might have been his Mother said. I have often said to Lowell it s really Loo bad it s a direct Trade off intelligence for love. The More intelligent you arc the less Able you tend to be to give freely mrs. Wick or said. She said the key to bringing up a Down s syn drome child is to talk about the child s limitations and to stimulate learning. None of us lives up to our potential. What we have to do with children like Sonny is make them utilise every bit of potential she said. I used to gel upset when he slept because i Felt he was wasting that  at six weeks. Sonny began special classes. Now mrs. Weicker said she tries to look at the world through the eyes of a child who must be forced to learn. Whenever they travel the Wick cars take Sonny. His favorite word is i and he s used to meeting strangers. To a visitor he seems incredibly Friendly and unusually inquisitive. Mrs. Welcker s premonition that Hitre was some thing wrong with her baby we right bul the hundreds who wrote her were right Loo. Since he was born there s been nothing bul total Joy. To feel sorry for ourselves would be Cray she said. The stars and stripes Page 13