Personal Narrative: Fragile X Syndrome

I have always felt a need to connect with children, even when I was a child myself. I remember that the first time I looked into a baby’s eyes I saw all of the possibilities that lay ahead of him. Their innocent and sweet personalities were a magnet for me. I became curious about how their minds grow and how they develop into adults. It became clear that not only did I love them, but they also loved me. I began babysitting, so my mom enrolled me in a babysitter’s course, where they taught CPR and the typical vital skills to keep the parents happy. Before I knew it, I became the neighborhood babysitter, working weekends and even school nights. It was unbelievably easy to me: what it took to care for and bond with these children was love. I …show more content…
I walked into the living room, sat on the couch next to him and introduced myself. It was blatantly obvious that he was nervous, but after a while he starting opening up. As Rina and I grew closer, so did Kumar and I. I was starting to learn all about him; he was diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome, which means he is mentally challenged and has a great amount of social anxiety. What kind of life will he have as he grows older? I wondered if he knew he was different and if that was why he was clearly uncomfortable meeting new people. As we became closer, I got to see the many other qualities besides his disability. His sweet and goofy personality was admirable, while his wide smile was undeniably contagious. I remember the first time he called me his best friend. I wanted everyone to see his true self, the person that I was fortunate enough to know and call my own best friend. All he needed, like everyone, was a little patience and acceptance. Kumar even began coming to our friend gatherings and it was amazing to see how comfortable he was around my friends. He soon became the most important person in our friend group, quickly stealing everyone’s hearts. Not only has he become close to me, but also my family. I was blessed enough to be able to have watched him grow into the strong-willed person he is today. His confidence has skyrocketed and he continues to prove to people that he is