“Thomas has always played with socks. He’d put one sock into the other and swing them around his fingers for hours. Some children get comfort from a teddy bear or a doll. With Thomas, it was always the socks.”
‘Dad, I want a job.’ I got to researching. The answer was staring me right in the face.’: Family launches sock business for son with Down syndrome
‘What if she has it?’ My husband answered swiftly, ‘She’s our girl. She’ll be awesome regardless.’: Mom in ‘awe’ of daughter with Down syndrome
“I had a thousand questions, but all I could muster was, ‘How does this increase my chances?’ She replied, ‘From about 1 in 320 to 1 in 6.’ The wind was knocked out of me.”
‘THEY don’t have the muscles to get the right latch.’ He is not a ‘they.’: Mom advocates for son with Down syndrome
“The doctor said, ‘He may go home on oxygen.’ Little did they know the stubbornness I had. The love of a mother determined to get her baby home.”
‘I felt nothing. The alarm started sounding and nurses flooded into the room. All I could say was, ‘Does she have it?’: Mom recounts labor experience of daughter with Down syndrome
“And when the nurse said to me, ‘Are you okay? You don’t seem excited.’ I hated her for it. I hated that I hated her for it, but I did. They began inducing me, and the minute they did I started contracting.”
‘I’d had 3 babies before, but this was the first time someone asked if I WANTED one of them.’: Mom welcomes baby with Down syndrome, ‘Loving her is the easiest thing I’ve ever done’
“I worried about what life would be like for her, how our family might change, and the struggles she might face. But I knew, despite all of that, she was worthy.”
‘You’re so kind for hanging out with them!’ These were my friends. I wasn’t doing anything special.’: Teen gives back to Down syndrome community, ‘I want to make the world a better place’
“Each year, it seemed I had a friend who looked or acted just a little bit differently than me. I wanted to make sure these children were equally celebrated and welcomed.”
‘After watching my daughter fight for her life, I realized I had to fight for our family. I needed to heal.’: Single mom shares daughter’s journey with Down syndrome, ‘We’re growing together’
“My husband had been cheating on me and they were pregnant. I remember thinking, ‘Her daughter will live longer than mine.’ I had to give her the best life.”
‘As I laid eyes on her for the first time, they quickly pointed out everything ‘wrong’ with her.’: Mom ‘blindsided’ by daughter’s Down syndrome diagnosis, ‘I’m no longer afraid’
“Her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes, the way her tongue rested gently on her bottom lip, and her tiny pinky with the slightest curve. I was in shock.”
‘A tear of pride rolled down his cheek. ‘My son.’ Even if my husband was on the other side of the world, we were together.’: Military wife shares son’s journey with Down syndrome, ‘Focus on the good’
“My husband and I sat silently in the front seat of my car. ‘Your baby has Trisomy 21.’ For a moment, my heart stung. My husband deployed to the Middle East for 6 months. Our adventure continued.”
‘The moment she was in my arms, I whispered, ‘I’m your mommy.’ We were CALLED to this. She’s the star of our story.’: Family adopts baby with Down syndrome, ‘Worth isn’t defined by chromosomes’
“She stared into my eyes as I stroked her hair, telling her she was beautiful. It was over 8 months until we saw our baby girl again. 8 excruciating months, separated by a pandemic, on opposite sides of the world. It was GUT-WRENCHING.”
