![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/cleveland\/files\/2018\/10\/Dana-and-Caden.jpg\")
<\/a>As new expectant parents entering a routine ultrasound late on a Friday morning \u2013 June 3, 2016, to be exact \u2013 we had no idea how much our lives were about to change.\u00a0 We were excited, nervous and juggling our busy work schedules just to make it in the door in time. I was just beginning to have a noticeable baby bump, and I was oh-so-proud for the world to know I was going to be a mother.\u00a0 When it was finally time to begin, we let the ultrasound tech know we did not want to know our baby\u2019s gender, and we got started.\u00a0 Looking back, the first ultrasound tech seemed to get a bit unsure the more she continued.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t alarm us.\u00a0 She eventually brought in a more senior ultrasound tech, who seemed to take quite a long time and go over certain areas again and again.\u00a0 We made it clear to her also that we didn\u2019t want to know the gender of our sweet baby, and I added, \u201cWe just want to know that the baby is healthy,\u201d which was met by silence.<\/p>\nShe continued busily performing the ultrasound, which again, seemed to be taking a very long time.\u00a0 \u00a0She then began asking us what seemed like some strange questions like, \u201cDid you have any screenings done at 12 weeks for things like Down syndrome?\u201d\u00a0 No, of course not, we wanted our baby no matter what, and what were the chances after all?\u00a0 She left the room, and we could hear a cluster of medical professionals whispering about us in the hallway.\u00a0 Naively, I wasn\u2019t connecting the dots.\u00a0 My husband, however, said to me, \u201cWhy do they keeping asking us about Down syndrome?\u201d\u00a0 I had barely noticed, really, but after he said it, I realized this had come up a couple of times since we had begun our ultrasound.<\/p>\n
Soon, a doctor entered our room and said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, we have a few things we need to talk about.\u201d\u00a0 She began to tell us about our baby\u2019s heart condition, unusually large brain ventricles, short arms and legs and lack of a nasal bone, all of which were markers for Down syndrome.\u00a0 I felt my face become white, as it seemed like the list of things we needed to talk about was never going to end.\u00a0 She must have given us a few moments alone because I remember my husband and I looking at each other and saying, \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d followed by, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, too.\u201d\u00a0 Sorry for what, we weren\u2019t sure, but just sorry things weren\u2019t going to be the way that we thought.<\/p>\n
The doctor then met us in a genetic counselor\u2019s office where we looked at pages of chromosome arrangements, charts showing us the \u201codds\u201d of having a baby with Down syndrome at my age, words like \u201cquality of life\u201d were discussed, followed by technical explanations of different testing we could do as well as our \u201coptions.\u201d\u00a0 This couldn\u2019t possibly be happening.\u00a0 The next days and weeks were followed by difficult conversations between the two of us and with family and close friends, the beginning of many, many doctors\u2019 appointments and so much wresting in my heart.<\/p>\n
We talked to a cardiologist on the phone the day of our ultrasound, who told us there was a 50% chance our baby\u2019s heart condition was related to Down syndrome.\u00a0 Okay, there\u2019s a 50% chance our baby DOESN\u2019T have it, I told myself.\u00a0 We chose not to have an amniocentesis done that would have told us with 100% accuracy whether or not our baby had it, and instead, opted for a blood test, which told us with 99% accuracy that our baby would in fact have it.\u00a0 When the genetic counselor called with the results, the pity I heard in her voice told me everything I needed to know before she even delivered the news.\u00a0 But in my stubbornness, I held onto the 1% chance that the results were wrong, yet in my heart I knew the truth.<\/p>\n
Unsure of how to carry on at work, I sent an email explaining to a wonderful team of co-workers what was going on in my life all of a sudden.\u00a0 One of my co-workers, another Lakewood resident just like we were, soon after sent me an email asking if I was aware of GiGi\u2019s Playhouse.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t been open terribly long at this point, but I had seen it driving down Detroit.\u00a0 In my travels, however, I had never paused long enough to read the words \u2018Down Syndrome Achievement Center\u2019 under the sign and honestly thought it was probably a daycare.\u00a0 I quickly turned to Google and saw this amazing facility, but was sure we didn\u2019t belong here.<\/p>\n
As I told my mom about this facility, she immediately learned everything she could about it, emailing back and forth with Lizz for days and even months.\u00a0 It all sounded wonderful, but surely, we didn\u2019t belong there.\u00a0 Soon my mom had arranged a visit for us to meet Lizz in person and tour GiGi\u2019s.\u00a0 Entering the doors was one of the hardest things I had done up until that point because it meant we really did belong here.\u00a0 On this day, we received a gift and welcome package from GiGi\u2019s staff and Board, along with a card telling us \u2018Congratulations!\u2019\u00a0 It left such an impression on us that my husband took a picture of it and sent it to his parents in Texas.\u00a0 These people understood where we were, they had walked this road before and they were celebrating our baby!<\/p>\n
Of all the things we were told on June 3, 2016, never did we hear \u2018Congratulations!\u2019 \u00a0Never did we hear, \u201cYou are going to have so much FUN as a family!\u201d or \u201cThere are so many amazing resources available to you and your family\u201d or \u201cWe are so excited to meet your baby.\u201d\u00a0 All of these things and more we quickly heard from the GiGi\u2019s community.\u00a0 Soon, we realized this was a place we DID belong and we WANTED to belong.\u00a0 Fears turned into possibilities, questions turned into answers and heartache turned into joy.<\/p>\n