by Tina Roquemore
Something is terribly wrong.
“I’ll be right back,” she says.
“Right back” turned into a very fast walk with her boss in tow.
Laughingly I ask, “Well, do we have a big baby here?”
“We’ll be right back.”
This is not fun, guys. You’re beginning to worry me. Yep. You guessed it; in they come with their boss. As they looked at the ultrasound, their brows were so furrowed, you could have planted corn.
“You’ll need to speak with your doctor. Can you see him this afternoon?”
“Sure” I say. “Is there anything you can tell me?”
“No. Your doctor will tell you.”
“I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord…”
Ok Lord. What’s wrong with my baby?
“…no voice like Thine, can peace afford…”
Have to get Darrell and go see the doc. Shouldn’t be too bad. Maybe her heart. I just know it’s a girl this time. With Stephen, it looked like I was carrying a basketball, and this one makes me look like a bowling pin! Must be a girl. Maybe it’s her heart.
“Darrell, we need to get to T3’s office (my ob). I think it’s the baby’s heart.”
Off we go, each in our own thoughts. The file from the hospital gets to the office before the doctor does, but they show us right in.
“I’ve got bad news,” T3 says, “your baby has no brain.”
“…I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee…every hour I need Thee…”
Ancephaly with gross chromosomal anomalies.
Well needless to say, the next few days are a blur. The birth, the death, and the funeral. Mercifully, Angela Renee dies not long after birth. She was a pretty little girl. Big eyes like her brother too. But it takes me a few months, and then I’m walking on my own two feet now; and not very well. Sleeping constantly. Highly emotional. Classic depression. Oh Lord, what am I going to do? You know we want more children. This is too much.
“…now bless me now my Saviour, I come to Thee.”
“You’re going to have another little girl”
“What Lord? Really? Oh, thank you!!”
“But she’ll have Down Syndrome.”
“So what. She’ll be alive, and I’ve had the alternative. Praise the Lord. So…when?”
No answer.
Fast forward four years to a hospital room, and the pediatrician greeting the new parents.
“So…what have you named your daughter?”
“Martha Cathleen”
“Beautiful name. Have you noticed something wrong with your daughter?”
“What…that she has Down Syndrome…?”
God always keeps His promises.
oh what a preety little girl, i have a little boy who is 3 with down sydrome, he is the center of my world, they are so special, wouldn’t trade him for the world, they are priceless
you have a beautiful little girl . I was blessed this pass year with a baby boy with down sydrome his name is joshua he is now 13 months old.
Martha is beautiful.
My daughter, Kaylee, just turned two and continually exceeds the expectations of everyone. Looking back at when she was born, it’s hard to believe what we feel now. At first we were crushed. It’s like all your hopes and dreams for your child are wiped away. My dad always told me, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans”. Now, everything is beautiful. You finally see the world through different eyes. You see what really matters. I love Kaylee more than I can express. I live for her and her older brother, Dylan.
May God continue to bless you and your family as he has blessed us. Tell Martha that Kaylee says “Hi”
Best regards,
Todd Hight and family
I have a little 2 yr old daughter with DS and I tell you what, she is the most amazing creature I have ever met.
Your daughter is one of a million+ amazing individuals with DS.
We as well have a daughter (Aftyn) with Downs who is four years old. She is the first of three children thus far. I can say with no reservations that she has brought so much joy to our family. My wife and I have learned a great deal more about life through Aftyn than we could have ever imagined. Aftyn brings out the good in every person that she comes in contact with. Having a daughter with Downs wasn’t a road block as we first thought, but rather a new life experience that is more valuable than I could have ever imagined.
Travis Christenson
We have a little boy (Jacob) with Downs who is 2 1/2. He is the youngest of 5 children. He is the light of our lives. Everyday is a new experience that I would not trade for anything. He is such an encouragement to us all. It is so sad to think that the doctor we originally seen had no hope for this little man. We were told he would never do anything and yet he has far exceeded all that we could ever think or imagine. What a true blessing to our whole family.
Where can I find before and after pictures of DS children who have had plastic surgery? Is it worth it? My first thought it that there cannot possibly be enough “improvement” to rationalize putting a child through elective surgery. But I’m on a learning curve and am willing to investigate. Thanks for your help.
Linda, I’m not aware of any place on the net to find that. I would certainly not recommend plastic surgery unless there was some compelling medical reason. If it is appearance that you are concerned about, I have two recommendations. First, focus on health. The appearance of the face really reflects the health of the child. By using targeted nutritional supplementation, avoiding allergens, and providing a robust, healthy diet, children with DS radiate health. Secondly, I recommend a program of oral-motor exercise to develop and strengthen the muscles of the face and mouth. Well-toned muscles are a big part of what we perceive as “beauty”.
we have three children and our third is called lina,she’s four and has ds.god blessed us whith our angel and she shows us every day what is really important in life!!all the children i’ve just seen on the photos are so beautiful!!she cannot speak yet and i would appreciate to know at what age your angel started to say the first words?thank-you so much!
We have a 9 month old daughter, Sky who has ds and I wouldn’t change one chromosone. We have had to walk miles of anxiety to get to today (heart defect – 2 1/2 months in intensive care) and I wouldn’t trade one minute of it! God has blessed us. We as ds parents were chosen to take care of his most precious people and it has been an honor to know our Sky! I cant wait for tomorrow!
I saw on Oprah several month ago a story of a baby boy that had a trisomy of one of the other chromosomes and lived 99 days. As parents of a child with Down syndrome we are fortunate in that we get a change to see our children live their lives. Our children will one day walk, run, play,ect. Yes, there is the chance they will develope leukemia or alheimers but time is on our side that treatments for those can be found. I met a lady that here child died in utero and realize we are truely the lucky ones…and I didn’t even know to pray for my child not to have on of those chromosomal abnormalities where I didn’t know they existed. Yet even those children have a purpose: they show us the value of even a life in utero or the one of only 99 days.
hi ihave alittle angle boy hes 3 rani is our gift from god
like all children some days are great others not bad
but we have to go forward with alot of love and support
iam trying to enjoy every day with a ds boy
ireally love him no matter how he is
Your story touches me because it is so similar to mine. I also had a little girl that died at birth, we never found out why. Three months ago I had, Toby, my beautiful little man. We live in Ireland where they have a really good support network for DS children and he was instantly loved by all my facebook friends!!! He brings out feelings in me I didnt know existed and every day seems much calmer and happier than it ever did before. I am both proud and excited to be chosen as a ‘special’ mum and any challenge he faces he will be facing with me by his side.