Previous post explain why we bleed so red at our house... last Sunday's birthday party should convert the rest of you...
Rich has an uncle with downs. David turned 50 years old (a major milestone for someone with down syndrome) last week. He still lives with his 80-something year old mom-Rich's grandma- in West Jordan where the family can help take car of both of them. David is a real character who will tell anyone who will listen about the University of Utah football team.
A few years back, David got a hold of the phone number to the sports department at the U and made it past all the secretaries to Coach Whittingham's desk, and the coach answered. David then told the coach how to improve his team so they could start winning, chastised the coach for using foul language on the field and got mad that some of the players weren't playing more. Guess the coach got a kick out of it and for the past four or five years, David has become the coach's bud.
Whittingham and his wife and kids along with a few players visit David at his home a few times a year. David owns more autographed UofU stuff than anyone I know.
Back to the birthday... so David's ward through a fun party for him on Sunday and invited the coach and his family. I don't know the Whittinghams personally, but I can tell you, they know how to make a young man feel special. It was amazing to watch all the star-struck people trying to get the coach's attention only to have the coach polity move the focus back to David.
The real fun came when the coach's mom was playing with Anja in the back and made the mistake of trying to hold Bebe (bitty baby). There was a lot of screaming. the Whittinghams are great people who find time in there personal lives to make David feel special-- because they can not because they have to. So, wouldn't you bleed red if David was your relative?
Happy Birthday!
4 comments:
That is really cool, it appears that David really enjoyed his bithday celebration!
Happy Birthday David!
That is an awesome story - and it cracks me up that he got through to the coach! That's great that the Coach makes it a point to visit him - love those kind of people!
That's amazing!! For some reason i hold a special spot in my heart for with kids with downs, perhaps it was all the tutoring I did in high school. I think that's awesome the coach would take the time and befriend your uncle. Sometimes it's the 'simple' things that bring pure joy.
Was Uncle David at our Sacrament meeting conducting the rest hymn? If so, he did such an amazing job! It was fun to watch him and made me want to sing better!
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