The National Advocate for People with Down Syndrome Since 1979

National Down Syndrome Society
666 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York New York 10012
800-221-4602
info@ndss.org 

Emma Grace
Emma Grace 'Baby Blues'
Emma Grace 'Baby Blues'
Emma Grace

Our sweet Emma Grace was born March 25, 2010. She entered this world two weeks early for fear she would be ten pounds. She surprised us all by only weighing 7 lbs 11 ounces. Her brother was so excited to finally meet her. Emma Grace is "his Baby." You are privileged if you get to hold her, but only for a few minutes. He still whispers in my ear, "I want my baby back. Tell them to give her back," and I have to give her to him. He has loved her from the moment he learned we were having a baby. He couldn't wait to get to the hospital to see her and would cry when he had to leave. He held her, kissed her and hasn't stopped. That night we learned the doctors suspected she had Down syndrome. They told us it would take 7-10 days to get blood results to confirm their suspecision. I agonized that I caused this. I was devastated. Not because she would not fit into my perfect dream of a little girl, but that I was afraid of what she would have to face growing up with Down syndrome. I was worried about her health and the challenges she would face. Would the ugly world we live in be cruel to her? How would she cope in school? Would she have friends? Would she be included in activities? So many questions it became overwhelming. It seemed no one understood my fears or pain. The answer I would get is "She will be fine" or "She's a gift from God." And that she is! We learned quickly she would be a strong, determined little girl. She held her head up that night while her Daddy was holding her as if to say "Dont worry about me!" She continues to surprise us all. Her heart follow up showed the holes had closed and there were no heart issues. She was rolling over at three weeks. By Christmas she was crawling and at 16 months she started walking. She is the center of our family; the glue to hold us together and make us believe in miracles. She may have Down syndrome but it doesn't have her. She will continue to meet new challenges and conquer them. She is my strength! I thank God for her!




Vote for your favorite story! Each month, the two stories with the most votes will be featured in the NDSS E-Newsletter.*

Email:        


Your email address will be used for voter tracking only, and will not be used for future NDSS emails.
Click here to become a fan on Facebook.
Click here to follow us on Twitter.

*Votes will be reset at the end of each month.



Full Name
Email
Country
State
Comments (1,000 character limit)



Stephanie Faulhaber, United States, NJ
8/27/2012 8:46:12 AM
I enjoyed your story sooo much! Reading it was almost like hearing an echo of my own voice. I was told at 20 weeks that my daughter could have Downs Syndrome, but I refused any confirmatory tests, simply because the results of those tests would not have changed my decision. In fact, I felt like there was NO decision to be made. "She is my daughter and I will love her no matter what"! My daughter was born literally kicking and screaming! And shes been surprising us ever since. She is happy and healthy. She has two older sisters that love her and will protect her. We have a wonderful family with so much support. And its so nice to hear about other families with similar experiences. Thank you for sharing your story!!

  • Buddy Walk
  • NDSS Yourway
  • My Great Story