Her Many Roles

Her Many Roles

Every day Terry became someone else and surprised us with her new persona – nurse, singer, model, dog lover, doctor, and her favorite, police officer.

There was always music in our house, with Terry singing, dancing and performing.  Some days she would leave her room wearing a nurse’s uniform and carrying a stethoscope, thermometer, and rubber gloves. I would say to Julio, “We’re in big trouble now” and we’d laugh as she goes to her brother’s room. She would tell Jeffery to lie down in bed and turn over so she can administer CPR.

Since the age of three she has been wild about police work. She watched every TV program featuring law enforcement and yearned for, and spoke about becoming a police officer with a K-9 named Rocky by her side. Well, at age 16 her dream came true – sort of. While Dad and I served as volunteers at the Pawtucket, R.I., police department, Officer Ray took her along with his partner on his patrol every Wednesday afternoon in the community service car. She even got to sit on another officer’s motorcycle, which thrilled her to no end.

After moving to Sebastian, Florida, she made us visit the police department regularly and she brought the Officers candy, cookies, coffee, and always coupons for free products. She had persuaded our neighbors to save their coupons and she would carefully cut them out as she worked in her “office” and brought them to the policemen.

They liked her so much they gave her a full uniform and let her ride in the July 4th parade in the front car with the official partner. She was so proud, carrying her handcuffs in a case hanging from her belt and a “gun”. One day she said, “Mom, this is how you stand to shoot a gun”. After watching all those law enforcement programs, she had learned exactly how to do it.

We went to CPR classes and she practiced on her brothers many times. She knew how to dial 911 for emergency help and actually did it once when I was very sick.

Her life-long wish: – One day police chief Earle Petty came over for a visit and marveled that her office was bigger then his. She spent hours at her desk, carefully copying police lessons and getting ready to go to college and qualify for the police force. She begged and begged us to send her to college and I would say, “Some day. You’re too short now.  All police officers have to be tall”. She started saving her money, hiding it in a red box in her closet. Of course, I knew it could never happen and my heart broke when I had to make up excuses. Dad and I took her to a local college for a visit. She brought home police books and T-shirts with the logo and she made preparations to enter college.

One day, she asked Chief Petty if she could be a police chief. On her next birthday he gave her an official white shirt, bars for the collar and a gold badge that was  #100. That was her best birthday gift ever! Now we had to call her Chief Terry Anne Carosi. We ordered stickers with the title and whenever she wrote notes to anyone she would attach them signed Chief Terry Anne Carosi followed by “I love you x o x o x o x o”.  She always signed her letters with the love words and symbols and always said, “I love you” to anyone she talked to, either on the phone or in person.  She simply overflowed with love.

Being Chief inspired her to go on patrol with K-9 Rocky. I weaseled out by saying Rocky was busy doing an important job at Orlando Airport “sniffing for drugs”. I told her that some day he’d be her partner. One day, while watching TV, there he was sniffing drugs. She yelled, “Ma, look at him working, doing a great job”. She was so proud of him.

Her dreams were so real, so heartfelt, and so pure. I prayed for them to come true, knowing sadly they never would.

Tip: Parents: – Do not assume that he standards being used for rating IQ’s, degrees of retardation, learning disabilities, etc., are gospel. They are not! They are often misinterpreted, mis-used, and unproven, as well as in a constant state of flux and re-appraisal. They mislead, discourage, and confuse parents.

**This is an except from a book titled “ Down Syndrome Child Spreads Love” if you would like to read more or purchase a book please contact:JP71C@aol.com**

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