Seven years ago, I gave birth to my first child, Nathan. He was declared perfect at birth and the whole family
celebrated. Little did I know at the time, how much he would change my world.
The next day, a doctor we had never met came into the room and explained that she thought my precious baby boy had
Down syndrome. It was devastating news. I had no idea what Down syndrome was but I knew it could not be good. I
was given no information in the hospital so my way of coping was to seek out all of the information I could possibly
find. Some of what I found was very outdated and it scared me. Some of the information was too detailed and it
overwhelmed me. The information that I was drawn to were those stories from parents describing their children and
what their children did. The children did “normal” things, they did quirky things but the pride and love of their
parents was in every story.
Nathan was very healthy when he was born. He had one small hole in his heart that closed on its own. Nathan was an
easy going infant. He was definitely the observer and thought about things before he did them. He loved books from
an early age and still today delights in hearing a story. Now, more often than not, he wants to read to me. He
recognizes some words but has memorized many books and likes to read those.
Nathan is finishing up his kindergarten
year in a regular classroom without an aide. He knows all of his letters and the sounds they make. He struggles
with his handwriting but has made great strides. Nathan enjoys playing in the neighborhood with his friends and he
takes horseback therapy. He loves to go to the park and play baseball. He loves church, especially wearing a tie
and singing. Nathan loves pizza, music and Santa Claus no matter what the season. He notices which houses do not
have chimneys and worries about the children that live there.
I could describe Down syndrome in a lot of detail but it is a small part of who Nathan is. Have there been hard
times? Yes. Have there been struggles? Yes. But I must tell you that not a day goes by that I don’t delight in
the precious boy that came into my life seven years ago. He brought me a new perspective, new friends, and a new
job. He brought me a stronger belief in myself, a stronger belief in humanity, and a stronger belief in God. He
came to me with a heart overflowing with joy and laughter. He brought me more love than one person deserves.
