Angela Joy -- Our "Angel of Joy"

Anyone who knows us knows we have a very special daughter who has Down Syndrome. Keep in mind that she is not "a Downs." She is Angie who happens to have Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome is not a person. It is a condition that occurred at the moment of conception. I always marvel that an extra chromosome should cause so much trouble. If anything, it should result in the individual being gifted.

Angie has been a complete joy in our lives. (Thus the middle name "Joy." We named her that in faith because at the time we had no clue.) The world was a very dark and scary place when we were told of her condition right after she was born. Our minds wandered in so many horrible directions. Our world -- and that of her siblings -- was changed forever. We were so fortunate to have supportive doctors and family to buoy us up during that first year. People who understood and loved us -- and her -- unconditionally.


Infancy and childhood weren't too difficult once we got past the acceptance stage. There were some health issues. A good deal of time was spent in doctors' offices and hospitals dealing with challenges like a partial ASD (a whole in her heart), atresia (blockages) in both ears, leg perthes (a joint condition in the hip), loose neck muscles (a result of poor muscle tone) which resulted in the fusion of her first two vertebrae and a condition in which one leg was growing faster than the other. (Thank goodness these things didn't hit us all at once!) Other than that, there were the usual colds, flus, ear infections, tonsilitis. And believe it or not, we were grateful!

Angie was blessed with teachers all through her school days who loved her enough to insist that she learn and progress wherever possible. They didn't sit back and make excuses just because she was "handicapped." And they (among others) shared some priceless advice which has helped guide us in guiding her.

Angie began her education at the age of two. She attended Jordan Valley School (for special needs children). We mainstreamed her into the "normal" population when she was in the third grade. All through her public school education she attended classes where she could interact with others and learn certain skills, but her academics were taught in either resource or special education classes. After graduating from high school, she went on to "college" at South Valley School, another school for special education students where job training and social skills were greatly emphasized.

Upon graduating from "college," she worked in the kitchen at Draper Elementary School as an assistant. She helped prepare the lunches and assisted in serving. It was her job to fill the fruit cups, prepare the silverware, etc. The lunch ladies were so good to her and she loved her job, even though it remained a volunteer position.

We moved to St. George in December of 2005. Her adjustment went better than ours did. Even though she did not find work right away and she no longer had "Angel" Mutual, she didn't seem to struggle; maybe it's because her grandparents (Mom and Pop McCloud) live only ten minutes away now and her sisters (Jaime and Lisa) are in Las Vegas, which is only an hour and forty minutes from door to door. Angie has a gift: she can adjust to being anywhere as long as she is loved and has time to watch a few movies in peace and quiet.

In 2007 we attempted to find Angie a real job, one that would pay her. But the job market was so poor, even for "normal" people, that we decided to let her continue volunteering at our neighborhood school , Coral Cliffs Elementary (in St. George). She is happy there and loves the ladies she works with. Besides, nearly every dime she might make would be deducted from her social security. It's not worth the paperwork.

She is now 25 years old; and as I look back, I can see that most of the challenges we had with her were only bumps in the road, not major roadblocks even though they may have seemed such at the time. She truly is a gift from our Father in Heaven. She is very close to the Spirit and is a constant reminder that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father and he most assuredly has a plan for all of us, including her.