March 21st is World Down Syndrome day. It’s one
of those days where the bloggers of the world jump onto the internet to make
sure that everyone knows how fantastic the Trisomy* 21 community is. It’s one of
those days where I’m guaranteed to smile as I read the stories – seeing bits
and pieces of Abigail in all of them. I had this idea that this year I would be
one of those writers – yet I’m having trouble figuring out what to say.
The truth is that Down Syndrome is such a tiny piece of how
I see my daughter, it makes focusing only on that piece very difficult. Yes,
she has 47 chromosomes when most other people have 46. Yes, she’s in an Early
Intervention program to give her the best possible chances of success later in
life. Yes, she sees a few more doctors than most kids. But to me, to my husband,
and to most people who know our story, she’s our wonderful unexpected gift.
Abigail is my miracle
baby – my daughter that modern medical testing said wouldn't survive to the end
of my first trimester. She’s the preemie who arrived six weeks too early and
got to have surgery when she was exactly 24 hours old. She’s my little fighter
who has defied every doctor who has tried to suggest a negative outcome for her
health and life. She’s a loving sister who thinks her brother hung the moon -
and she’s determined enough to make sure he never leaves her behind. She’s a
sharp mind that takes in 1000 times more information than anyone realizes – and
who is quickly learning that being cute will get her far in life. But mostly
she’s big eyes, a giant smile, and a loving hug at the end of each day.
Down Syndrome as a whole can be a scary topic. But I honestly believe
that’s because every person who welcomes one of these wonderful babies into
their family is facing the unknown. And the unknown is terrifying. But each
child’s future is unknown – regardless of genetics – and every child deserves
to be celebrated. On March 21st our family celebrates Abigail – my wonderful
gift who happened to come with a little extra.
*I love that the dictionary keeps telling me that Trisomy is not a word.
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