MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
March 21 is National Down Syndrome Day. On this occasion, we spoke with Max and Terry Bringle about their daughter Kelli’s journey.
Kelli was born 40 years ago with a bleak prognosis.
“That physician, on the very first day, started listing all the things she’d never be able to do,” Terry recalled. “They told us we’d be able to keep her home for a while, but eventually, she would have to go to an institution.”
As first-time parents, it was devastating news.
“The thing that parents of children with Down syndrome need immediately is support,” Max said. “You don’t know what direction to turn. You’re in a labyrinth.”
With support from the medical community and organizations like TECH, Kelli has thrived.
“The infant child program at TECH started working with us when she was 6 weeks old,” Terry said. “We had a speech therapist, a physical therapist, and a teacher come to our house once a week. They showed Max and me what to do—how to help her walk, exercises for her mouth to teach her to keep her tongue in. Without TECH, we wouldn’t have known how to do any of it.”
LINK: BW Morning Show Interview: Max and Terry Bringle, World Down Syndrome Day
The Bringles emphasize the importance of early intervention, advocacy, and community support. They highlighted Kelli’s achievements and struggles, including open-heart surgery at 14 months old.
“She did have a heart condition and had surgery at 14 months,” Terry said. “But we were fortunate—she’s never needed heart medication or restricted activity.”
That active lifestyle led to her involvement in the Special Olympics.
“She’s been competing in Special Olympics for 25 years,” Terry said. “She’s participated in all the sports offered in our area and has been recognized as the most inspirational athlete for the state of Kansas. She’s in the Special Olympics Kansas Hall of Fame and was named Big 12 Special Olympics Athlete of the Year.”
Max and Terry encourage parents to seek early help and not accept limitations.
“We found out we had to be advocates for her,” Max said. “And by advocating, we realized we could make decisions—decisions people often take for granted. People tend to just listen to their doctor, but we learned we could fire doctors.
“We could have intense conversations with them, demand information before a test, and question procedures,” he continued. “There are different forms of Down syndrome, and understanding that is important.”
For those seeking support or resources, here are two organizations that can help:
- TECH (LINK) or you can call them at (620)-663-1596
- Down Syndrome Society of Wichita: [LINK] or call (316) 651-0114