Ilayda Mae

My name is Ilayda Mae, I was born in August 2000, 3 weeks early (apparently typical for a child with Down Syndrome). When I was thirteen weeks old I had a hole in my heart repaired, then I spent my first Christmas in hospital because I had pneumonia, bronchilitis and a collapsed lung. I had to go into hospital again the following February and wasn’t really well until I was about nine months old. I am very well now and am rapidly learning lots of things. However I do like to trick my mum and dad by doing something a few times and then not doing it again for a few weeks, especially if they have told everyone I can do it! I can move around wherever I want by either walking with the furniture or shuffling on my bottom in a very unique fashion! I can feed myself with my hands but am very fussy about what I eat and often choose not to!! I spend hours playing with my beanie animals and kids, and love to look at myself in a mirror, or the cooker, or a window, stainless steel bin, in fact anything. I also absolutely adore books, my favourites at the moment are The Gruffalo, Over in the Grasslands and It’s the Bear. I have a new baby brother who I kiss and cuddle, then I try to remove his eyes from their sockets or eat his toes! When I was born lots of people told my mum and dad that I would be a very loving child and probably would be musical, and I am. But I am also a cross, miserable, cheeky child, a frightened, temperamental child, a shy retreating child who shouts for attention; in fact I have as many facets to my personality as those children whom no-one feels the need to predict their temperament to reassure their parents!!