Disabilities Awareness Month

In recognition of Disabilities Awareness Month (October) Indian Time will be featuring articles on community members in Akwesasne who have a disability they’d like readers to better understand. Our first featured community member is Aaron Jock, who has Down syndrome.

Jock is 34-years-old and a well known man in Akwesasne. He is active in many programs and events and lives a life that he and everyone who knows him thinks is completely normal.

Down syndrome develops in a fetus when there is an extra chromosome present. The characteristics of the syndrome cause the individuals to experience some mental and physical delays in development that affect their life to varying degrees but they’re still able to thrive and lead happy, normal lives.

“We say ‘Down syndrome’ is just a word,” said Karin Thompson, Jock’s sister. “We tell him what Down syndrome is but he doesn’t see it…so to him and us he’s just a normal person and ‘Down syndrome‘ has no meaning.”

Jock said at a recent event a woman with Down syndrome gave a speech and said, “I am just like you.” He shares the same sentiment about life, and said the only thing he hasn’t been able to do that many others can is drive a car.

“I can’t drive a car but I can drive the lawn mower and my 4-wheeler,” Jock said.

Jock likes to keep busy and every week he calls his sister Karin to let her know his week’s schedule. He truly does live a normal life.

Jock said he wakes up very late every day after staying up and watching TV until 1 or 2 a.m. Asked if he uses an alarm clock, he said, “I do have an alarm clock, his name is my dad!” Dad/Grandpa Timothy Jock wakes Aaron up at around 11 or noon on most days and he’ll take a shower and go about his day’s activities. Sometimes he has to go to work at the Mohawk Bingo Palace, where has been a custodian for 13 years.

“I like it there, I have friends there,” he said. Jock recently received a plaque from the MBP honoring him for his many years there.

On some days, Jock works at his second job at Northstar in Malone where he helps with sorting glass bottles and other tasks.

If he isn’t working, Jock leads a busy social life, attending events with the Family Support Program, taking wood shop classes, and bowling every week. On weekends he spends much of his time with his sister, and her husband Ryan. They take him out to dinner, he said, but he is also a great chef. Shepherd’s Pie is one of his specialties, and he carefully described each ingredient he puts in, including: potatoes, ground up beef, corn, butter and some parsley on top.

“It’s amazing,” he said.

When he has time to sit back and relax, Jock will behave like many others his age and spend hours on the computer downloading songs from iTunes, making CD’s for all his friends and family, and then staying up late watching TV and playing his video games. Guitar Hero is one of his favorites.

Jock might like to cook, eat at restaurants and play video games all night but he keeps active as well with the many sports he loves and he’s a regular competitor in Special Olympics events in the north country. He likes to play floor hockey volleyball, basketball, softball and he also likes fishing and golfing.

Jock’s sister said there aren’t many things her brother doesn’t enjoy.

Jock was shy but also excited to share that he has a girlfriend. He didn’t feel he should say her name to go in the newspaper but he had nice things to say about her.

“Maybe someday I will get married,” he said.

Thank you Aaron for sharing your life with our readers and allowing them to learn more about Down syndrome.