Written by James Harris-Beaudry
Take one good look at James and Jared Zielinski and you may notice some obvious physical differences in them, but get to know them and you will find out just how normal they are. James, who is 15 years old and will be a sophomore in high school and Jared who is 14 years old and will be a freshman in high school like to do anything and everything any regular kid their age would like to do. The just want to fit in with everyone else and that they do.
Their mother, Cindy Zielinski found out that her son James, the older of the two, had Down syndrome when he was two months old. When she was pregnant with Jared, she had a test done, and she found out that he would also have Down syndrome. They gave her a choice whether to keep him or not and she felt like he had the right to live just like everyone else. She felt this was a good decision. Take a look at the two brothers today and that was more than a good decision. These two brothers are like two peas in a pod and nobody can take away that brotherly love from them.
The boys grew up in a big city in Michigan called Saginaw. They went to a school for children with disabilities and were not included. This made it hard for them to make friends. It was also hard for them to learn the things that they wanted to learn.
When Jared and James turned 13 and 14, they moved to a little town in Kansas called Deerfield. Their mother, Cindy, says moving to Deerfield has made such an impact in their lives. They have just blossomed since they have been there. They are included in the regular classroom in the Deerfield Schools. They are very active in school, helping out with the football team, singing in the choir, and enjoying their classes. James says his favorite classes are weightlifting and “lunch,” while Jared likes all of his classes, especially PE. One favorite thing that they both share about being in the school is going to the school dances. They both love to dance. In fact, James, a freshman, went to the High School prom with a senior and Jared won a dance contest when he was in 7th grade. They have many friends and enjoy hanging out with them, and spending the night with them. And who can forget their favorite phrase, “What’s up, dawg?” Any of their friends will tell you that they always have a way to brighten the day.
In the future, the boys would each like to find a woman that’s perfect for them and get married. Jared says he has already found the right girl for him – a girl up in Michigan named Sarah and he is determined to marry her. They both would like to get jobs and James’ dream job is to become a rap artist, because he loves rap music. They both have a wonderful future ahead of them.