| ||||||||||||||||
|
Matthew
My son, Matthew, was born October 22, 1997. It was, without question, the happiest day of my life. It was also the saddest. Matthew was four hours old when the pediatrician we'd never met came to tell us that our perfect, precious child had Down syndrome. It wasn't possible...my AFP was normal...it was an easy, planned pregnancy...we'd done everything right. The doctors said we should feel lucky that Matthew didn't have any major health problems. I didn't feel lucky. After three days in the intensive care nursery, we brought our son home. It was overwhelming to be entrusted with this new life -- this new life with very special needs. I grieved -- for my son, for the "normal" child I didn't have, and for myself. Would Matthew go to college,
marry, drive a car? Would he be happy? Would people make fun of him? Would we be
embarrassed by him? Would our families love him? Would we be the parents he
needed? These are the questions I My son is now 15 months old. It hasn't been easy. As I write this, though, I marvel at the contrast between how I felt then and how I feel now. Matthew is my son. He has Down syndrome, but, first and foremost, he is Matthew, my son, and I love him. He is my perfect, precious child. He is beautiful and sweet and happy, and he loves me. Yes, at times, I still cry and get angry, but Matthew is pure joy and I am truly lucky to be his mom. Michelle January 26, 1999
|
|
TDSN Info Line - (919) 788-3646 Email: tdsnmail @ triangledownsyndrome.org or Contact Us Regular Mail: TDSN, PO Box 37305, Raleigh, NC 27627 Home | Calendar | TDSN Resources | General Information | Scrapbook | What's New | Register |
Triangle Down Syndrome Network
asked myself, my husband, and other parents. I still ask some of those
questions, and I probably always will.