Becoming Supermom

“After receiving my Down Syndrome diagnosis, I had to make a choice...despite my fears, I chose love”

To all the moms with a prenatal Down Syndrome Diagnosis-

Congratulations! You are now part of the Lucky Few. As a mom who also received a prenatal Down Syndrome diagnosis, I know what you might have felt when you first heard your genetic test results. All of your fears and concerns are understandable. There are many statistics that come with this diagnosis that can be scary. I cannot tell you what challenges your unborn child will face. The reality of it all is that we don't know the challenges that any child will face with or without a diagnosis. You are just fortunate to know now that your child will be born with an extra chromosome that will make him/her extra special. I know that not knowing all the answers is tough, trust me, I've been there. It's OK to cry and it's OK to mourn the child that you thought you were going to have. These emotions are all normal and you will soon realize that you may have lost that child but you have now gained an even more special one.

As you process all of this, you will begin to understand more and more that this is not the end of the world, nor is it a punishment. You may have been given this news in a way that made you feel like your unborn child will not have a wholesome life, and guess what, that is not true. Those statistics are not a summary of what your life will be like. Many of those facts may not even apply to your child. They gave you those statistics but I bet they forgot to mention the others...the proven statistics of the amount of joy that parents receive from their child with Down Syndrome. The natural innocence, kindness and gift of love that people with Down Syndrome have, is such a blessing. You have no idea what he/she will mean to you and to your family and friends. This child will make you see life in a whole new light. A light filled with a human spirit that you've never felt before. It is what we call "superpowers". Every child with Down Syndrome has it. My son Noah showed off his superpowers from the moment he was in my belly. He fought to be in this world despite his Down Syndrome and Congenital Heart Defect diagnosis. His superpower is love and he continues to use it every minute of the day. Being the mom of a superhero comes with wonderful gifts. One of them is knowing that your child will always love you and bring so much happiness to your life. I still don't know what I did to deserve such honor or why I ever doubted God's plan. He chose me for a reason and I chose Noah. It all makes sense now. The "why me?" has now become "why not me?". I am the perfect parent for him and so are you for your child. After we grieve, we embrace and we conquer. Conquer what we consider "fear of the unknown". Overcoming that fear is so liberating and a beautiful achievement. I am happy to welcome you on this new journey. Hang on tight, because it's going to be an amazing ride!