"My mother once said that having a disabled child taught her who her friends were. As we grew up, Jonny and I made much the same discovery. We were always bringing mates home, but were fiercely proud and protective of David. If they shied away from him, we didn’t ask them back. He was a brilliant litmus for judging human nature – if you liked him, you were in".

In an excerpt from an article written by UK screenwriter Heidi Thomas (published in the Daily Mail) she tells us how having a brother with Down syndrome helped her be a better judge of character when it came to choosing friends while growing up.

Her tribute to her brother in this article is a compelling read, tinged with sadness, and will leave you with no doubt that he was an overwhelmingly, positive guiding force in her family life. After repeated delays in the scheduling of her brother's much needed heart surgery, David died on the operating table during his long awaited surgery leaving the family bereft. David had been the family's central axis and core.

Read the full article at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1023375/How-doctors-betrayed-Downs-syndrome-brother-writer-TVs-glorious-Cranford.html