“When he picked up the phone, I was surprised to learn he had been laid off a month before the Coronavirus took off. If this had happened a year ago or even 6 months ago, I would have a very different narrative on how this is going. I’ve literally heard it all. But I decided to give him a chance to help.”
“I went to my baby checkup today alone. My doctor and I elbow bumped through weary smiles. As soon as I got into my car, tears started rolling down my face.”
“The hoarding of supplies has been so bad there is nothing left. My mom is a nurse. So is my sister, my sister in law, my friends and cousins. She didn’t ever need anything from me…until today.”
“If all you did was feed your child fruit loops and sit on the couch to read with him, that’s equally as great. Odds are that 20 years from now they probably won’t remember half of the academic lessons you taught them, but they will remember the time they got to spend with you.”
“Rob sent out an email to his fire department 2 days ago. He felt guilty even asking. A leave of absence would leave us without health insurance, and a child going through chemo. I can never accurately explain how thankful I am.”
“Right now, it’s just you and me. And I can’t help but be thankful my constant is you. You are so little, and so are your worries. I hope to keep it that way.”
“I got home from the hospital this morning with my basement couch/bed made and towels laid out and ready for my post COVID hot shower. It made my heart happy as I thought about the little things my wife is doing during her own isolation at home to make my life easier after a long night.”
“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.”
“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.”
“She frantically scanned, her voice trembling, ‘I’m sorry.’ I covered my face and just sobbed. I kept screaming to get her to try again. I can’t even begin to describe what it is like to know you are going to give birth to a dead baby. I tickled his button nose that matched mine. I was in complete awe.”
