“She isolated herself often. Instead of interacting or playing with toys, she would sit in the corner next to the bookshelf, pretending to read. At first, I turned the other way and denied there was something wrong. I couldn’t mentally prepare myself for something I didn’t want. Then the script flipped. I realized she’s not of any less value.”
‘Babe, there’s something not right with Nevaeh.’ I felt defeated. Why my daughter?’: Mom brings awareness to autism after daughter’s diagnosis, ‘Being different is beautiful and inspiring’
‘I hung up my hat as a stay-at-home mom and outsourced my children’s needs to people more capable than myself.’: Mom to children with autism says ‘hope is equally as contagious as a virus’
“Both of my children have autism. Now here we are in self-isolation. I don’t know when our children will return to school. I am, frightened—and if I’m being completely honest—angry. We lost our village.”
‘He didn’t pass his mandatory newborn screening.’ I was angry we hadn’t gotten the child we’d planned for. Woman gives birth to son with Waardenburg syndrome, ‘he teaches you more than you ever imagined’
“We were told, ‘Bring him back in a few weeks to re-test.’ When Cooper was diagnosed as deaf, I was pissed. I refused to even say the word for a few weeks. I hated it, as if hating a word have any effect on what we were going through. Now I don’t see it when I look at him. I see my perfect, perfect baby.”
‘The bus was the highlight of her day. She would confidently climb the stairs and hop into her seat.’: Couple buys real school bus for Autistic daughter, ‘The look on her face was worth all the struggles’
“We finally arrived at the location. We all got out and began talking over everything and went to get on the bus to get a thorough look at it. Braylee didn’t miss a beat. She hopped right into the bus, fastened herself right into the harness, and began singing loud and proudly, ‘Wheels on the Bus.’”
‘You could have an abortion. At least save yourself.’ I was pregnant with my first baby, and planning his funeral.’: Woman encouraged to terminate baby with down syndrome, ‘We can’t control what our lives will bring us’
“A week later, I got a phone call from the abortion clinic to schedule an appointment. It turns out my doctor and his wife aborted their child with down syndrome because they thought he or she would become a burden. He thought I should do the same.”
‘She wasn’t getting enough air. She was almost gasping and was quite purple. It was pure torture.’: Woman gives birth to baby girl with Treacher Collins Syndrome, ‘Her disability won’t hold her down’
“I noticed her ear looked small, but I chalked it up to the typical squishiness of a newborn. ‘So what? What is the point of showing me her differences?’ She has underdeveloped ears, cheekbones, and jaw that make her appear a little different than most of us. I just stared at her in awe, with nothing but love and admiration.”
‘What are we supposed to do?’ It must be my fault. I turned to Google for answers and was terrified.’: Mom has surprise Down syndrome baby, ‘Life looks a lot different now than it did 5 years ago’
“She asked us, ‘Did you know he has Down syndrome?’ I was a little shocked. We told her, ‘No, we haven’t noticed.’ She simply said, ‘Well, he does,’ and walked straight out of the room. Her tone and her demeanor were so condescending. I instantly felt fear, anger, and guilt wash over. There were no offers for resources, no books or pamphlets, no direction on what to do next.”
‘I don’t want any more operations!’ It was so hard on me, I decided enough was enough.’: Woman with Apert Syndrome wants people to know, ‘‘I have a great personality if people take the time to get to know me’
“I was about 6 or 7 when I truly realized I was different from other kids. I looked different. There was a lot of staring, whispering, and pointing fingers from other people, as they had never seen anyone like me. I sometimes feel lonely and would love to have more friends.”
‘Why isn’t anyone congratulating me? Sadly, my daughter’s arrival wasn’t celebrated.’: Woman gives birth to baby with Treacher Collins Syndrome, ‘our normal is different but I wouldn’t change it for anything’
“I was excited and ready to meet our baby girl! I realized something was not right. I said, ‘What is happening?’ Why is my husband so confused and scared? Why can’t my mom look at me? Why did my doctor step out? No one said a word. The silence tore me apart. I finally got a glimpse of Bella and… she looked ‘different.’”
‘The text came at 12 p.m. ‘All schools will close at 2:30 p.m. for a minimum of 2 weeks.’ Autism doesn’t allow for change.’: Mom of autistic child says ‘covid-19 could change everything’
“Routine is something we thrive on in our house. It stays the same every day, down to what my little boy eats, the shape his sandwiches are cut into, and the song we sing at bedtime. Routine is the one thing he could control. With that one text message, everything changed for him.”
