Down Syndrome Is Not a Burden, but Rather a Tremendous Gift

COMMENTARY

I was only 8 years old when my little brother Daniel was born.   

But I vividly remember my mother crying a lot and my dad saying that he would have given his left arm for Daniel to get better. They spent the first few weeks of Daniel's life desperately searching for answers and solutions for my baby brother's lack of strength and inability to eat. Doctors told them he was incompatible with life – a heartbreaking phrase that no parents should ever hear.   

When Daniel was six weeks old, we finally got the diagnosis that he had Down Syndrome, which came as an immense relief to my parents. While having a baby with Down Syndrome would create some changes and challenges for my family, we knew that we would be able to survive it.   

When Daniel was six months old, he underwent open heart surgery to fix the hole in his heart. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, and he was able to drink from a bottle from there on out.   

According to those around us, including many of the doctors, having a child with Down Syndrome would be a burden and a drain on families. But my family soon learned that nothing could be further from the truth. Daniel became a constant source of joy and light in our household and even for those around us, and my parents soon knew that they were being called to expand their family even more.   

Five years later, they decided to adopt a child with Down Syndrome which led them to China and eventually to my two youngest sisters, Naomi and Ayla. My parents knew from raising Daniel that raising a child with an extra chromosome was not a burden but rather a gift that should be celebrated.    

I remember going to China with my mom to adopt Naomi when I was 17. When we visited the orphanage where Naomi and so many children, especially ones with Down Syndrome, who needed loving homes lived, my heart was so moved by the children there.    

Then, two years later, my parents adopted my youngest sister Ayla. She was so tiny and needed heart surgery, which my parents were able to get here, and today she is healthy and thriving.  

Daniel, Naomi, and Ayla all have an incredible amount of joy. They don't judge, are incapable of holding a grudge, and always show love. I firmly believe that in heaven, we are going to be like those with Down Syndrome, full of acceptance and grace, knowing only how to love others.   

I learned as I grew up that Down Syndrome was not something to be afraid of, as it did not take away from the value of a family or life, but it added to it abundantly. The biggest challenge that those with Down Syndrome face is convincing the world that they are worthy of love and life.   

I have always been immensely proud to talk about my siblings and the incredible way my parents opened their home and their hearts. I now work as a nurse at Clearway Clinic, a pregnancy center where we provide early pregnancy medical services and support to women. I want to be able to tell each mother that comes through our doors, that her child is a unique gift to the world. But more specifically, I want to tell women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome, that they will be okay. I want to end the stigma that disability is a burden and ensure that each woman knows the beauty and joy that those with Down Syndrome bring to everyone around them.   

This World Down Syndrome Day I am reminded of the strength of my parents, the pure love of my siblings, and the true gift they have been to my family and those around us. And I can confidently say that I am the woman I am today because of the blessings of having Daniel, Naomi, and Ayla in our family.

Anna Lindblom is a nurse living in Connecticut and one of 11 siblings.