Thursday, March 21, 2013

Trisomy 21

Trisomy 21 Awareness day, or better known as, World Down Syndrome Awareness Day, featuring Grace!

My husband, Kevin, and I found out at 13 weeks in utero that our daughter, Grace, has Down Syndrome and also a heart defect that would require surgical repair. We immediately reached out to a support group that put us in touch with other parents of children with Down Syndrome. After meeting two sets of parents and their beautiful, happy daughters we grew excited for our child's future and potential. She was born in July of 2011, with only six days in the NICU. She had a successful heart repair in October of 2011, she went home with us in four short days. 

Grace has been nothing short of amazing to us from the beginning. She has a relaxed personality and great sense of humor. She is also extremely social and curious towards other people. It is hard to take her some where in a hurry because someone always stops to meet her. I am told it is her smile that catches the attention of others. Like other children born with trisomies, Grace shows us what she can do, we don't tell her what she can't do. She is walking, signing and learning how to talk. Grace has physical therapy every other week; speech and occupational therapy every week. We like to think of it as having help teaching us how to play smarter with Grace. She has both typical and special needs friends. 

Grace has taken us down a very unexpected but wonderful path. Written by. Lynn Grimmig Sullivan (aka Grace's Mom)



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