My Daughter With Down Syndrome Is A Gift, Not A Burden

“Our genetics counselor suggested we institutionalize her. The speech therapist said right in front of my 8-year-old daughter, ‘She will likely never have a job. I don’t even think part-time work is in her future.’ Right then is when a fire got lit. We wanted her to have the fullest and most complete life she possibly could.”

‘I said yes without asking my husband. We went from 0 to 4 in less than a year!’: Couple adopts 3 siblings then becomes pregnant, ‘This is not what I had planned, it’s BETTER than I imagined’

“They told us if we decided against taking in the baby, they would take the older two and find a home who was willing to take all three siblings, for the sake of keeping them together. Well, we were not about to let that happen. Three short months later, I was home with my three kids and a POSITIVE pregnancy test.”

‘When will you make your own babies?’ I’ve never been pregnant, but I am a mother. She doesn’t have my skin color, but her little arms reached for me the very first time I called her name.’: Adoptive mom details emotional journey, ‘She is our Plan A’

“It didn’t happen the way we had imagined or planned, but she was always our Plan A. Every pain, every setback, every prayer was all worth it. She may not have my eyes, my hair, or my skin color, but she has my heart. I can’t imagine loving my little girl as anything less than a true daughter.”

‘I turn to walk away and she’s already crying. At 4 months old, she is realizing we are two separate people. Until now, she and I were one and the same.’: Mom shares candid reality of 4-month-old

“She came into this world only knowing our shared existence. At 4 months, she is learning her sun, moon, and stars…can just walk away. She only has one thing—a deep trust and faith I will come when she calls. As long as my arms, my chest, and my presence are where she finds peace and security, she shall have them.”

‘The doctor said, ‘I don’t like this, let’s do a C-section right away.’ I could hear them talking urgently, requests for tubes and oxygen — but no cry.’: Mom goes into preterm labor at 34 weeks, ‘Our family feels complete’

“No one said anything but there was some whispering and I was asked to start coming by every 2 hours. ‘Just to make sure,’ they said. There is nothing you can do except to trust the doctors but I couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong and nobody wanted to tell me.”