Parents Comments

What followed suddenly changed my world into one of such grief and excruciating agony that I have given much thought about relating it accurately to anyone, let alone making it public!. It cuts to the core, the very heart, and for years now, coping and dealing with such a plethora of emotions has always been neatly tucked away at the back of my mind.

So there I was, alone in my room when I was told in a very calm and quiet voice that some initial concerns were held for Steph, and unfortunately from all checks so far it appeared she had been born with a Down syndrome condition. I don’t remember hearing much, except the words ‘Down syndrome’.

As the time grew near to leave hospital, I realised how quickly this place had become a warm cocoon. A place to hide and mourn the loss of the normal child so eagerly awaited, a place to feel safe from the inevitable prejudices of the world outside.

Thank goodness the physician, John Langdon-Down disposed of the archaic term "mongolism"; It’s just a shame his name was Langdon-Down and not Langdon-UP!.

So there you have it. I’m just an ordinary mum looking after an extraordinary child, learning with her and for her as best I can. She is a child who can read simple sentences, hold a conversation, walk, jump, climb, has a great sense of the ridiculous, draws pictures of all our family members; but best of all, she is all ours.