Recently the Down Syndrome community laid another baby down to rest. It seems like losing one of our little ones is becoming the norm for a lot parents, and it deeply saddens me. A dear friend of mine wrote this moving message below and I felt I had to share it with the world. I personally want to dedicate this message to an inspiring mother who recently lost her baby girl. Jenny, please know you are not alone in your journey, and you never will be. You can read about Jenny and her sweet baby Lucy here.
When One Special Needs Parent Grieves, We All Grieve
You read our post updates and continue on with your life. You may think, “how sad”, “or why do they care so much” or “this is too much”. But for us, we can’t walk away. No, we are a community joined by our love for our little ones. When one hurts, we all hurt. We can’t walk away from that and leave our warriors to face those battles alone. Yes, it hurts. It breaks your heart. Makes you question your faith. And cry out for answers. We see our child in the eyes of each child facing big battles. We love these children as our own. Sounds crazy to the outside world, but not to us.
“Makes you question your faith. And cry out for answers.”
Our community endures and journeys through things most parents will never be asked to do. We face hurtful statements, ignorant comments, discrimination, health scares, losses , we are ask why we had our children and if we knew before they were born. So I ask you, WHY does that even matter?
We hurt for one another, because many on the outside can never fully understand our struggles, not even if they want too. You can only understand when you are enduring with those who understand the joys and heartaches of this path. It’s beautiful and painful. It brings together people who would’ve never met and make you family. You see the very best in humanity.
And yes you suffer the deepest losses when one is taken.
So, if you have a typical child, a healthy child, you are blessed. Yes, maybe you can walk away, because it’s to heavy a burden to bare. But we will still be here, because we depend on the love and support of one another to help us get through the seasons we face. In the end, every single one of us will tell you we love our child with their extra chromosome and wouldn’t change them for anything.
We believe WE are the blessed ones.
The lucky few.
Our army stands together.
That’s just what we do.
Written by Shannon Newby and Dedicated to Baby Leo. November 1, 2015-August 10, 2016.
