Lang family bands together

By Lorri Benedik

Michelle Lalancette and Jason Lang are mom and dad to Manu, 23, and Meaghan, 21. Before Meaghan was born, they learned that she had Down syndrome (DS). “It was New Year’s Eve 1999, and we were with friends when the doctor called with the results of Michelle’s amniocentesis,” Lang said. “It was a shock, for sure, and we were aware of our options, but we talked it over and made the decision quickly; we wanted our daughter.” The couple sought families with kids who had DS, observed their interactions, and knew they could handle it.

Meaghan was a happy baby. As she grew into toddlerhood, they noticed repetitive behaviours and some arm-flapping, not typical in kids with DS. “She didn’t react much to pain,” said Lang. “On one occasion we discovered Meaghan had strep throat when we saw a discolouration in her mouth while helping her brush her teeth.” She was in preschool when Lang filmed her for a few specialists. It was concluded that, in addition to DS, Meaghan has autism spectrum disorder. Her parents were grateful to have had a complete diagnosis so her needs could be addressed more fully.

“Meaghan is so great,” Lang said. “She has limited vocabulary but communicates what she wants clearly in English and French.”

Lang is the son of iconic Montreal folksinger the late Penny Lang and is an accomplished musician. When the kids were young, the family would go on tour with him. “Meaghan has traveled to 20 countries and has hung out with music royalty and rock stars, including Roch Voisine, Corey Hart, Amanda Marshall and Isabelle Boulay, to name just a few,” he said. The family’s home is on the north shore.

Lalancette is a veterinarian and loves her work, however, in 2012, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Lang stopped touring. “I still enjoy performing locally and [have] transformed our basement into a professional recording studio, where I enjoy producing music and videos,” said Lang. “Our son, Manu, is a gifted musician, and Meaghan loves to sing and play drums.”

Lalancette has slowed her work pace because of fatigue and MS flare-ups. Last December the couple sold the two veterinary clinics they owned and operated. Lang still juggles a lot between work and family life and says that time management is key. Meaghan thrives on routine and twice a day asks her dad to play songs for her on the guitar and piano – always the same songs in the same order. “She has a phenomenal memory and gets upset if I change anything,” he said.

Lang is spokesperson for the Association de parents d’enfants trisomique-21 Lanaudière (APETL). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he organized fundraising concerts for them. “Friends, who are world-class musicians, performed, and no one accepted a penny,” he said. We raised $150,000 for the association.” 

When Meaghan was little, and learning to talk, Lang discovered that her “Fraisinette” (Strawberry Shortcake) doll was a great teaching tool. He used the doll as a puppet, which made eye-contact easier for Meaghan. “I used a high-pitched, humorous voice for Fraisinette and said, ‘I want a hotdog.’ Meaghan repeated ‘hotdog.’” Lang added more foods, one by one, and Meaghan would repeat them all until she was naming 75 items. “One day I wrote them all down, handed the three-page list to Michelle and said, ‘Watch this!’ Meaghan rattled them all off in precise order.”

Lalancette still works part-time at the veterinary clinic. “We each do our part, and the family is doing fine,” Lang said. “I take care of grocery shopping and meal prep with a bit of help from Meaghan.” He said that Fraisinette still makes the occasional appearance and sometimes misbehaves. “The doll pretends to bite me and makes rude digestive (farting) noises,” said Lang. “Meaghan loves this so much and treats us to our favourite sound ever – her scrumptious laughter.”

Meaghan and Jason Lang perform at a fundraising event for the Associations de Parents d'Enfants Trisomique-21 

Lanaudière at Theatre Hector Charland in L’Assomption in November 2019. 

This was the last time they performed before the pandemic. Photo: Louis Caron