21 Stories for WDSD- My Brother, Nate

My name is Sam. I have a brother who has Down syndrome. And the experience is interesting because everyone helps you figure it out and you feel grateful. There’s good and bad. The good is you meet other people who are different from you but are very nice. The bad is that people underestimate people with Down syndrome. That makes me feel mad because I want to show them that people with Down syndrome can do everything a regular person can do and even better.

My brother Nate is 3. He has Down syndrome and no one underestimates him because he is very intelligent like any other person.  I like my little brother because he always comes into my room when I’m going to sleep and he hugs me.  When Nate had cancer I felt special because I was the only one who could make my brother laugh when he wasn’t feeling well.  He smiles every time I walk in the room.  I’m not a hero. I want to make sure he smiles when he’s feeling down.  Having a little brother isn’t always fun because he gets in my stuff and breaks things. But my life is better with a little brother because I have someone to look up to.

About the Author: Sam Griffith is an energetic 10-year-old who lives in North Wilmington with his mother, father and little brother, Nate. A native Delawarean, Sam is a fourth-grader at The Tatnall School who enjoys football, baseball, basketball, soccer and video games. When Nate was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for leukemia between October 2015 and September 2016, Sam was Nate’s hero.  The boys enjoy a very close relationship.  When Nate was born, Sam told him that he will always have his back and “anybody who messes with you, messes with me.” Sam continues to stand by that motto, and he makes his parents and little brother very proud.