At the age of 19, I had my daughter, Alysa, a child with Down syndrome. At the age of 21, I had my second daughter, Caty, who also has Down syndrome. It wasn't until after I had Caty that they decided to test me to see if I carried the Down syndrome gene. It was then when I found out that I had Mosaic Down syndrome. I graduated with a high school diploma, enlisted in the Navy, and started college before I was ever diagnosed with Down syndrome. I always had a hard time in school spending numerous hours of tutoring and had many behavior problems. I contribute to the fact that I never knew I had Down syndrome and was in a regular mainstream environment to my ongoing progress in my future. I am currently working towards my Associates Degree in Special Education, raising my daughters, and plan on working towards my Bachelors degree by next year. Later, I plan on writing a book on raising kids with Down syndrome. So when someone labels with you with Down syndrome, just know that it is just a number, and that only the label and the environment you surround yourself in is what holds you back.