Jamie and his parents, Michael Berube and Janet Lyon, wait on the front porch for his Person/Family Directed Support companion to arrive to go to dinner with him. Due to a mix-up in scheduling, she was unable to make it. Jamie’s parents are open and honest in discussing disappointments and negative feelings with Jamie, and they encourage him to express himself and his feelings in a constructive and communicative way.
“Portrait of a Young Man with Down Syndrome” is a beautiful, compassionate, unsentimental feature over at Al Jazeera by Michael Bérubé, a father whose adult son, Jamie Bérubé, is different. There’s no cloying, phony inspirational payoff in the piece. Just a candid look inside the life of a family doing their best to help their kid build a good life for himself, accepting both his disabilities and the special gifts that make him unique. Terrific accompanying photographs by
Sara Naomi Lewkowicz, including the photo shared here.