In the wee hours of the night on May 24, 2012, we met our darling Samuel. As soon as my eyes me his, I knew that Sam would change our world. We hadn’t expected his diagnosis of Down syndrome before that night, but through it, we were introduced to a world of joy and acceptance that we had only seen in brief interactions with friends who had little ones with the same diagnosis. Sam has taught us to take life at a slower pace and to find joy in the simplest of things. Ella & Sam are the best of friends, and we are grateful to be their parents.
You can click here to read Sam’s birth story, written just before I left the hospital.
In this post, I wrote about Sam’s diagnosis story.
Here are a few early posts I wrote about our journey:
Learning to Trust
Why Using the R World Actually Does Matter
Welcome to Holland {a beautiful story}
My Little Man Sam
Click here to see our latest posts related to Down syndrome, including the 31-day series celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome occurs when there is a third copy of the 21st chromosome. This happens while a child is first developing, but it is still not known why. It is the most common genetic condition and occurs once in every 691 children in the United States. It is a life-long condition, and life expectancy is 60 years of age, as opposed to just 25 years in the early 1980s. With the support of family and friends, people with Down syndrome can lead incredibly full lives. For more facts, check out the National Down Syndrome Society’s web page.