This weeks blog was written for us by Brody’s mum, Hannah. Gorgeous Brody was born prematurely in May this year, Hannah tells us about her prenatal diagnosis and birth story.
We found out Brody was 95% likely to have Down syndrome when we were 17 weeks pregnant through NIPT testing after a high result in our quad blood test. To say it was a shock was an understatement. I had had a perfectly normal pregnancy with my first son Zac and didn’t think for a moment this one would be any different. I definitely struggled at first, to me Down syndrome was a bit of a taboo thing to talk about. I didn’t really understand what it would be like to have a child with a disability. And that’s how I saw it at the time…my child would be different and disabled. I knew that I would love my baby but I was scared for the future. Would we bond? Would my little boy be embarrassed of his brother?
I trawled the internet for support groups and videos of what a child with Down syndrome was like. I found the Positive About Down Syndrome and the WCAT groups on Facebook and it made me a lot more positive about our baby’s future.
Throughout the pregnancy we were delivered bad news after bad news…VSD hole in his heart that would need surgery, ventriculomegaly and then my placenta began to fail.
We had steroids at 26 weeks and at 29 weeks and 5 days my little boy Brody was born by emergency c-section.
He weighed 3lb 5oz and was whisked away in a critical condition to the NICU. He was ventilated instantly and doctors and nurses worked hard to save his life.
The next few weeks were a blur of monitors, beeping, medications, brain bleeds, bleeding on the lungs, MRIs, X-rays and all of this during a global pandemic!
I remember the day that they told me that the genetic testing had come back and that it was confirmed he had trisomy 21… it was so insignificant! I didn’t care how many chromosomes he had, he was my baby that was fighting for his life. He was my perfect baby boy.
9 weeks went by and FINALLY my baby could come home.
The joy we felt was overwhelming. He is my absolute pride and joy. I no longer feel that the words Down syndrome should be whispered, they should be shouted from the roof tops. I don’t see my boy as disabled or less that any other child. To me he is perfect, to his brother he is his sidekick, to my family he fits in with us all perfectly. The future for Brody will not hold any limitations and we can’t wait to see where his path leads.
Follow Hannah, Dave, Zac and Brody’s journey @myboybrody