Father, son wrote book on Down syndrome

At 52, Tom Lambke still enjoys the little things in life, and it's all thanks to his 26-year-old son, Bryan.

"There are times that I live vicariously through Bryan because he is so thrilled … at the simplest things in life," said Lambke, former resident of Villa Park and Lombard.

Bryan has Down syndrome with moderate to high function, which means he has sight recognition of certain words and can count, though not to 100, and he recognizes money but doesn't understand its value.

But, with his family's help, he has been experiencing life to the fullest, not allowing his limitations to hold him back. He has a steady job in Chandler, Ariz., where the family now lives.

He won a gold medal in bowling at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland. He counts actor Chris Burke, who played Corky in the television show "Life Goes On," among his friends. And he's a published author.

He also was just inducted to the Chandler Sports Hall of Fame in their new hometown.

Bryan and his father, Tom, will tell their story and share information about Down syndrome at 7 p.m. today at the Carol Stream Public Library, 616 Hiawatha Drive. The DuPage Writers Group event is free.

"Bryan is a person with Down syndrome. He's a person first," Lambke said. "People want to refer to people with disabilities with their disability first. They want to call him a Downie. They're a person first. You wouldn't call a person with cancer that cancer person.

"They have the same dreams, the same goals. They might not be able to achieve them as easily."

Sometimes they achieve even more, such as Bryan's gold medal. It was the subject of Tom Lambke's first book, "Spirit, Courage and Resolve … Special Olympics Athlete's Road to Gold."

It is not just about Ireland. It was everything leading up to and including Ireland, Lambke said. The book starts with Lambke's first encounter and subsequent marriage to Willowbrook High School sweetheart Karen Capezio, followed by the challenges of raising Bryan and his sister, Shauna, and culminates with the family's trip to Ireland for the Special Olympics in 2003 and returning with gold.

"I wanted to share it because we feel blessed. We knew there were people out there like us, but knew millions of people who had no idea what we went through … about the things we were able to do just because we had a child with disabilities, and all the things we were able to feel -- trials and tribulations of raising someone with Down syndrome when you knew nothing about it."

Tom Lambke co-authored his second book with Bryan, "I Just Am … a Story of Down Syndrome Awareness and Tolerance." It is a story of how Bryan feels about his disability and how he perceives others think about him, as well as facts about Down syndrome.

DuPage Writers Group hosts Tom and Bryan Lambke

7 p.m. Wednesday

Carol Stream Public Library, 616 Hiawatha Drive

Cost: Free