Blessed with Anthony: Holland and Miracles

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Holland and Miracles

The day that we were told that our son had Down syndrome a Chaplin at Children's hospital gave me a copy of a poem that was titled "Welcome to Holland". The poem meant so little to me at the time as I was too caught up in grief, but today means a lot.

The poem is on the Youtube video link below with a beautiful song at the end of it.The song at the end of the poem is one I have never heard before and the words put me in tears.

You see I was cold cocked with the diagnoses of Down syndrome after Anthony had heart surgery, unlike many others I have met who received their diagnoses prenatally. Let me tell you there is a lot of pressure put on couples who receive a prenatal diagnoses to end the pregnancy. When he was only 10 days old my beautiful son, who had live through heart surgery, was diagnosed with Down syndrome. I faced lots of gloom from so many in the medical profession that I had added fear based on their reaction, I felt so uncertain of Anthony's future I was lost, I had felt so isolated as I was sure I was the only one. Thankfully I did receive nothing but support from our Pediatrician, the one who gave us the diagnoses with words that I hang onto today. He said, "Your son will bring so much love and joy to your family". Boy was he right! Anthony is a miracle, a miracle that was a hidden miracle just as the words of this song say.

Miracles come with many gifts and the gifts are plenty. Not always easy, but nothing worth having is easy. Thank you God for my miracle.

Please take the time to watch this video and share with others. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59z1XfMhjbc

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The start of our journey

Our family was blessed to have seven beautiful, healthy
daughters. So our excitement was beyond the norm when we
were told through ultrasound that our 8th child would be a boy!Wow a boy! As a mom I was very excited about forming that special mother and son bond, the kind of bond my husband Don was forming with our daughters. April 25, 2003: life changed more for our family then we could have ever expected. Our son Anthony entered the world 4 weeks early weighing 6lbs, 18 inches. He was perfect in every way possible, stealing the hearts of his adoring sisters who couldn’t wait to get him home to join our family.
The first evening home turned bittersweet. It occurred to me that Anthony had not wet a diaper, he had no desire to nurse, he was sleepier than normal, and his legs were cold with a slight blue tone to them. We returned to Sacred Heart Children’s hospital where an echocardiogram was done, which showed us that Anthony’s aorta was closing and only open heart surgery would save his life! On April 29, at only 4 days
old, I said good-bye to my little boy as he was taken into surgery. The wait was grueling, five hours later Don & I were reunited with our son. The doctors were very guarded as they explained to us that Anthony was not out of the woods, the next 24 hours would tell. But when I saw pink toes and touched those warm toes, I knew he would be fine.
Seven days later he was fine; he was so fine that we were being moved from ICU to regular pediatric. But before we moved our doctor came into the room to tell us our son’s blood tests showed that Anthony had Downsyndrome. Down syndrome is the most common occurring genetic disorder in America. Approximately 1 in 750 babies are born with this disorder.Like most parents of a child born with a disability, Don and I dealt with grief and fear. What would the future hold for Anthony? What level of impairment would he have? Would I have those special mother and son moments? Would I be able to dance with my son at his wedding? Will my son grow to be a strong man?

The Creed of Babies with Down Syndrome

My face may be different
But my feelings the same
I laugh and I cry
And I take pride in my gains
I was sent here among you
To teach you to love
As God in the heavens
Looks down from above
To Him I'm no different
His love knows no bounds
It's those here among you
In cities and towns
That judge me by standards
That man has imparted
But this family I've chosen
Will help me get started
For I'm one of the children
So special and few
That came here to learn
The same lessons as you
That love is acceptance
It must come from the heart
We all have the same purpose
Though not the same start
The Lord gave me life
To live and embrace
And I'll do it as you do
But at my own pace

Rare Blue Lobsters

Daughter's a rarity to treasure
By David Falcone Boston Herald
Saturday, August 6, 2005

Couple of interesting items in the news the past few days that might have slipped under the radar but are worth further review.Both rarities for sure: blue lobsters and Billy Mueller.The blue lobster - one in 2 million - results from a genetic anomaly. An extra protein creates the cerulean hue. Like a golfer's hole in one, a blue lobster is cherished by any fisherman lucky enough to pull one out of the sea. A prince among lobsters, if you will, and often thrown back out of reverence.And Billy Mueller, the soft-spoken third basemen for the Red Sox. He works hard and produces and then goes home to his family and forgets he's a baseball player. He never complains. He does not seek attention by growing his hair too long or asking out of a game because he's having a bad day. He brings honor to a gathering of fools. What are the odds of that?And so I dream of what I will tell my 2-year-old daughter one day. How special she is. How rare - one in 1,000. An extra chromosome making three where there is usually a pair. A total of 47 in a cell where there are usually 46. An extra chromosome of perfectly good genetic material. An extra bit of life entwined on a helix that continues to mystify us all.How will I tell her that babies with Down syndrome every day are determined by doctors and mothers and fathers to be a ``mistake,'' a ``burden,'' a malevolence that must be eliminated.In fact, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology tells us that many pregnant women receive only negative information from doctors when a prenatal screening indicates the possibility of Down syndrome. Other studies show that the abortion rate of babies with Down syndrome is as high as 90 percent after such screenings. More babies with Down syndrome are being aborted than are being born.Out of ignorance we are killing angels. The knowing and loving gaze of these children with beautiful almond-shaped eyes is seen less and less because they will not see the light of day.That's why I sit with my daughter and watch baseball. Happy that she's alive and learning the greatest game ever invented, a perfectly beautiful game, with all its mistaken measurements and odd configurations, played by rare individuals.I read her books and teach her colors, such as blue, for instance. The sky is blue and the sea reflects its hope and promise. And beneath the sea's dappled reflections, an occasional rare creature that is a symbol of wonder and beauty we preserve rather than destroy.What will I tell my daughter when she is old enough to understand?I will tell her about blue lobsters and Billy Mueller.Just my thought. Our kids are fine it is the perception of them that is the problem.

Blessed with Anthony

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Holland and Miracles

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The start of our journey

Anthony

The Creed of Babies with Down Syndrome

Followers

Rare Blue Lobsters

Watch the video to see Helen's interview

One of Helen's favorite Down syndrome awareness videos

Waiting on the world to change!