"A joy to have in the classroom!" ðŸ˜ðŸ¥°
Imagine if those were the words you could see being said to you in a crystal ball when you were told the baby you are expecting may have a high chance of being born with Down Syndrome.
Proud parent alert 😆: tonight we were told those very words during Hermione's first parent's evening.
It was pure delight to to hear this; especially when we think back to the initial prognosis four and a half years ago.
Of course, no-one has a crystal ball. Nobody knows how your life might pan out with your child with Down Syndrome.
I hope I'm always mindful when considering the whole of the Down Syndrome community, and that no two families who have a child with DS are the same.
Everyone has different and sometimes extra challenges.
Everyone meets milestones at different times.
Everyone has different family dynamics.
But to hear that your child with DS brings joy to other's lives, is one of the best things we've heard in our experience of raising Hermione.
The day we took Hermione home from hospital, we knew we were looking ahead towards a path with unknown challenges.
There would be moments of celebration like today; but also battles with authorities; worries and anxieties about health and behaviour, and uncertainty about how much work it would actually take to make sure Hermione is accessing all the services she is entitled to.
But no-one told us about the joy.
Not only in our lives, but the fact that this joy would touch other's lives.
And today felt like a lovely affirmation that Down Syndrome should not be perceived as the doom and gloom situation it has been presented as in the past.
Is it hard at times? Yes, without doubt.
Could we have known everything about how our lives would be changed by having a little one with Down Syndrome? No.
But here I present you Hermione: your living proof of joy.
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