This time last year Hannah was growing inside me, but I had no idea of the new community she’d introduce us to. It’s not the journey we thought we’d be on, but we can’t imagine life without Hannah Mae. The unknown is terrifying, but once you’re educated and see the amazing paths others have cleared for you, the journey doesn’t look nearly as frightening. And really, extra chromosome or not, every child is a challenge in their own way - right?
My perspective of what a “healthy” baby has shifted dramatically. For all intensive purposes, Hannah is “healthy” in my eyes. When her heart is repaired, she’ll be super healthy : ) If Hannah only had Ds and not her organ defects, she’d still be healthy. In my eyes, Ds doesn’t mean your child is unhealthy.
When I hear expectant mothers say “I just want a healthy baby,” I always wonder what that means to them. I know no mother wants to have a child with Ds, but I hope families who find their child does have Ds eventually realize it will be okay. I’ve heard startling statistics on pregnancies ended because of an extra 21st chromosome which crushes my heart... I now know Ds is not a burden. Ds is not life-threatening. People with Ds live very full lives - more than a lot of people in this world can say.
No child is perfect, even those with typical chromosomes.
Dear Future Mom
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