On last night's episode of A&E's hit docu-series "Born This Way," four adults living with Down syndrome each took on small hurdles. Rachel conquered her fear of crowds and loud noises to attend a concert for her favorite singer Adam Lambert, Megan tried to prove that she could be independent by shopping for her own groceries, Steven learned how to ride a bike so he could use it as a mode of transportation to work, and John had a great first day at his new job.
Rachel
Rachel's favorite singer is "American Idol" alum Adam Lambert, and her parents decided to write to the pop star about their daughter. They said they hoped for an autograph in return, but they were surprised when Lambert responded with tickets and VIP passes to his concert. Rachel has had a fear of crowds and loud noises for most of her life, as her ears are sensitive due to her condition, but she bravely faced her fear and enjoyed herself at the concert, and even got a chance to meet the singer backstage.
Megan
Originally from Colorado, the budding entrepreneur's lifelong dream was to move to Hollywood to become a film producer. Her mother Kris decided to move to the area for the summer to test it out, but Megan expressed her desire to stay. Kris doesn't think that her daughter is independent enough to live on her own yet, and a trip to the grocery store proved to be a challenge for her. Megan did great when it came to reading labels carefully and picking out gluten-free foods that wouldn't trigger her Celiac disease, but she freaked out when faced with ordering meat from the butcher's counter.
John
The aspiring hip hop artist met with a director at Leaps and Bounds, a recreation center for children and young adults with special needs, to talk about his desire to live on his own. He also opened up about his love for dogs, and the director suggested that he volunteer at a local pet shop, and John agreed to try it out. He was in charge of helping groomers with the pups, greeting customers and completing card transactions, and he enjoyed it so much that he said he would work there every day.
Steven
Steven has held a job as a dish washer at the Angels Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. for two years, but he has to rely on his job coach for transportation to pick him up and drop him off every day. Steven craved more independence, and since he has yet to obtain a driver's license, he settled for the next best thing: a bicycle. But riding a bike is harder for adults with Down syndrome since they don't possess balancing skills. After a few determined tries and a couple of scrapes, Steven learned how to ride a bike for the first time without training wheels, which he said was "exhilarating."
