Down Syndrome Hoe-Down

For those of you who follow Plainbellied's blog, you will know by now that our unborn son has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. While there was an elevated risk for Down Syndrome in our case, you can imagine how difficult it was to learn that our child would be born with this disability. I feel for those who don't find out before the child is born. Soon after we received our diagnosis, a colleague of mine told me that his sister had given birth to a child with Down Syndrome. They had no idea until the baby was born, when the doctor told them. I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to hear such news at that time. By the time our son is born next month, we will have had months of mental and emotional preparation. I hope it serves us well when the time comes.

When I first heard the news, I remember feeling shock and disappointment. I hadn't set any specific goals or had any specific hopes for our child, but I realized that his life was going to be a challenge, not just to him, but to us, too. Because children with Down Syndrome have such a wide range of capabilities and challenges, we still don't know what is in store. It will take years before we truly understand what developmental and physical challenges he will face. It is daunting to know that your child will have something wrong with him, but that you will only discover what exactly it is over a long period of time. There will always be the potential for a new wrinkle.

I'm still apprehensive about what the future holds, and in learning more about the problems my niece (who has Down Syndrome) is having with seizures, I find myself worrying about how we will deal with such challenges. I don't doubt that we will figure it out as we go along, but from here, it sure seems like a big mountain to climb.