Many people write and talk about Down’s syndrome in many different styles, from a wide range of angles raising awareness of why it happens, what are the myths and so on. We as a family will never forget the consequence of Down’s syndrome. It affected us so many ways. Our two-year-old points at the cemetery and calls her brother’s name, her brother that she never met. October is a hard month as it whispers into our hearts that Billy’s birthday is next month. Other parents prepare birthday presents and cakes and we are silently crying, looking at children around Billy’s age coming out of nursery gates and feeling the heavy emptiness in our hearts.

I remember walking down the street with Billy, super-sensitive and ready to spot anyone’s glance and preparing myself to hear nasty comments. Perhaps now I might be offending parents and carers who are with their babies, with their teens by staring at them, trying to picture what it would have been like with Billy. Our family might look ‘normal’ from the outside walking down the street, but Billy is missing. What I’m trying to say is that we never know other people’s stories.

I don’t know what Billy’s first smile would have been like, I will never know. I had a glimpse of his smile while he was sleeping on a hospital bed. That was the only smile I was to see. So yes, be aware that there are many parents, relatives, grandparents, sisters and brothers out there remembering their loved ones because Down’s syndrome changed them, hurt them and made impacts in their lives.