Birth Stories!
August 2, 2016
Yesterday A&E’s hit show, “Born This Way” posted a video on their Facebook page entitled “Birth Stories”. The video highlighted all of the cast member’s parents and their recollections of each of their children’s birth stories. To view the video, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BornThisWayAETV/.
In the video, Kris Bomgaars-Megan’s mom says, “Sometimes I can’t remember where my car is parked or where my grocery list is, but I will never ever ever forget those words [in reference to when she found out Megan had Down syndrome]”. If you have a child with Down syndrome, or any other diagnosis, what are your reflections on this quote? What is your birth story? How do you feel GiGi’s plays a role in your story? Share with us in the comments!
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I remember her say earlier in the show that Megan had a heart problem I would love to know how as a mother did you get through it my son just had his open heart surgery and is still recovering and in dying o feel like I can’t breathe to me it has been one of the most scariest things I’ve ever had to go through
Cielo,
There is nothing more frightening than seeing your child have to undergo such a serious surgery at such a young age. It is okay to be scared and to cry… ultimately, know your child is resilient and this surgery is life saving! Is your son still in the hospital? My daughter is 8 months old now and is 5 months postop. The recovery process may be slow, but I can assure you it gets easier… and the differences you will begin to see in your son will absolutely amaze you! I am happy to answer any questions you may have or simply be a set of ears to listen. Many prayers and warmest wishes on the road to recovery!
Gina Buffone
ginakennedy@comcast.net
708.567.8486
Cielo,
I totally understand how you are feeling, though this is pretty far in my rearview mirror now. My daughter, who is now 9, had OHS at 5-1/2 months. One of the hardest time of my entire life was in that waiting room, waiting for them to come get me and tell me that the surgery was done and I could go see her. I cried the WHOLE time, and walked 6 feet in front of the nurse when I was finally able to go back and see her.
At the time, I felt like the recovery was slow, but in retrospect, it was not at all. It’s just that time really seems to slow down when your child is sick/recovering, etc. She was like a new baby after her heart was repaired. I was amazed by every step she took after that, every milestone, everything. She was so tiny, yet she was so much stronger than I realized! (And BTW, she continues to amaze me by what she can do. )
So glad you reached out — there are many of us who have had to endure that same waiting room…I will pray for your family as you all get through this!!
I agree with Celine. When you are going through the recovery period, it seems so long but in retrospect it seems like it was over in a blink. Cam had OHS when he was a week old. He was in the hospital another 11 days after that. When we left the hospital, the process of teaching him how to drink from a bottle and eventually nurse seemed like it would drag on forever. Monitoring his weight gain, administering medicines, and using the ng tube seemed overwhelming at first. We gave Cam all of time and support he needed, and now he’s a 10 month old that’s eating, drinking, and playing and we rarely even think about his surgery.
To me, the hardest thing to get over was/is his scar. One one hand, it reminds me of how strong he is and how we can overcome things that seem so daunting. On the other hand, I hate that my perfect little baby has a scar that mars his perfect body. I have to remind myself constantly that his scar is a part of his story and that we are so lucky to have him be a part of our story.
When you feel like you can’t breathe, take a deep breath, pray, and look at your baby. I always found that these steps brought me back to the present.
Hi Cielo! My name is Beth Kazmierczak and I am the Site Director at the GiGi’s Tinley Park location. Thank you SO much for reaching out-it was SO great to talk to you today! CONGRATULATIONS again on your son! I’m SO excited that you will be able to hold him today!
Please feel free to come in whenever you feel comfortable-we would love to meet you and your family! Thanks so much again for reaching out, we can’t wait to meet your little guy in the future! My daughter Nora is 2 and has Down syndrome. We didn’t have OHS with her, but she will need to have a non-invasive procedure when she is 3 to fix an ASD. I know the first few months are the hard and VERY overwhelming, but remember to stay positive and lean on your family and friends.
Please feel free to contact us if you need anything in the future!My e-mail is bkazmierczak@gigisplayhouse.org