By EMILY ANNEMARIE CARRIGAN
Guest Columnist

(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — Hey there. This is Emily Annemarie Carrigan, and this column is about me and how I got here.

Emily Annemarie Carrigan, right, sits with her brother Taylor on the couch in their family’s lake house, located in Possum Kingdom in Graford, Texas. Emily and Taylor were approximately 3 and 4 years old, respectively, when this picture was taken.

I grew up in Dallas, Texas, where my family raised me. I was born in Baylor Hospital. I have Down syndrome, and my family didn’t know if I could make it during the stressful hours of my mom going into labor. Then, afterwards, I was born but with a disorder. My mom couldn’t do anything to help me with this, but with the help of my lovely father, he loves me for who I am.

Over the years, I grew up with the family who has done the most in my life. I can believe that I can do anything with the help of them. I went to Highland Park High School, where I met the nicest people who also help me become who I am now.

My family has my back, and the people I met over the years are becoming a huge impact on my life. Like the teachers who help me with life itself. In high school, I was picked on because I have a disorder and I don’t have the right stuff to talk to any upperclassmen. So there was a teacher who came in my life and helped me with anything, making my life go smoothly in high school, with also the help of my heroes in my life, who are my parents. I couldn’t do anything without the help of my family and my favorite teacher in high school.

Before I came to Missouri, my life wasn’t the best without the people who always have my back and never take any criticism about their daughter who has Down syndrome. Without their help I don’t know where I would be, either not here or probably dead about now because I couldn’t take it with people telling me what to do with my life.

I know that I am taking a big task writing about my life in a column in an actual newspaper who wants me to write for them. I am taking this risk because my parents always tell me, “Take risks, go out of your shell and spread your wings where they can fly all over.”

I got in here with the help of a scholarship of Ruby’s Rainbow, and my blog helped also. My family has made it possible paying for me to go to college with the help of $5,000 from Ruby’s Rainbow scholarship. I was looking into Denver and also a community college but I chose the University of Central Missouri with a program who helps individuals with developed disorders become independent young adults. This program is called THRIVE program. This program helps me become who I really want to become in the future.

The people I meet in the program are actually nice and caring to me. My roommate is so kind who helps me become who I am now. There is a person who also has Down syndrome who is in the second year in the THRIVE program who became friends of mine, and some others also become involved with me.

Who knows what the future may hold for me, but I know who I am now with the people who have my back, with my entire family. With the help of few of my close friends and also my heroes in life who maybe are already in heaven also. How did I really get in the THRIVE program is my family and the scholarship of Ruby’s Rainbow.