"Do you really think you will change someone's mind about Down Syndrome just by posting pictures of your son?" asked a close relative.
To put the conversation into context, she wasn't bashing me or my son. She is one of the most compassionate people I know and loves Augie. She is also an uber-worrier. This comment was made as she was building her case for why putting pictures and information out on the Internet for all the world to see is potentially dangerous. And I get her point there. That, by posting so many personal things about my family, I am potentially putting us into a vulnerable position if a creeper is lurking around. I don't post our last name or physical location, but I'm sure that there are ways for people to find that out. So I get it.
BUT, I hope a far more likely scenario is that a mom or dad that just received a pre-natal or birth Down Syndrome diagnosis runs across my blog and that it DOES make a difference, even if just a little bit. That some of the fear or uncertainty they are feeling can be replaced with hope and inspiration. That they can see pictures of my son, and see what I see - a beautiful baby boy with so much potential. That they can balance the scary statistics and information received from a genetics counselor or doctor with stories of every day life filled with joy. Not to say it's all peaches and cream - this is real life that we are talking about. There are ups and downs.
But it is a good life.
So YES, I am going to keep posting pictures and stories of my son. And yes, I really think that we can change someone's mind.
Even if it is just one person, it's worth it.
