Meet Ollie (and His Family)!

We’ll never forget when Tanzeh and Joseph Metzger came to visit GiGi’s Playhouse last April.  Tanzeh was eight months pregnant and the two had just learned that their child, a son, would be born with Down syndrome.  They lived in the neighborhood and never had a reason to stop in until this day.

Even though Tanzeh and Joseph are both medical professionals, (she, a pediatrician and he, an anesthesiologist), that didn’t mean they were better prepared to take the news. 

When we give tours of our Playhouse, the experience is different for everyone. We feel like real “show-offs” when we take potential volunteers or donors through our facility – they are always amazed by the size of our facility and the broad range of purposeful programs that GiGi’s offers to participants of all ages. But Tanzeh and Joseph want something completely different from this tour.

“We were feeling scared, a little alone, and grieving the expectations we had for our second baby. We dropped by without any warning, and we were welcomed warmly. We were told ‘Congratulations!’ without hesitation, with joy, and with complete understanding of the feelings we carried. We visited with the participants, all of whom were excited to tell us about GiGi’s. A very sweet parent stopped to ask about the pregnancy and Ollie. We shared that he also had a birth defect called duodenal atresia. She lit up and said her son had the same thing, diagnosed 20 years ago. She shared a picture of her smiling son, now grown, healthy and bright. She hugged us and promised it would all be better than we could imagine. She was right. It felt like the first moment of hope for us; a moment of healing our grief.”

I distinctly remember when Tanzeh and Joseph spoke of their two-and-a -half-year-old daughter, Nora.  I said, “Your daughter is going to be the best and proudest big sister. GiGi’s will provide them with so many wonderful memories as they grow up together.”

Tanzeh asked, “Nora can come here, too?” 

“Of course.  This place is for all of you.”

I thought about that meeting often, wondering when we might meet their son and daughter.  I told them about our monthly Saturday morning New Parent Coordination orientations and LMNOP, a program designed to guide parents with children 0-36 months through basic sign language, music and language-based activities.  I hoped they would be as eager to participate in these programs as they were to step into the Playhouse as expectant parents.  We didn’t have to wait long. “Ollie” made his big entrance. He was born one week after their visit to GiGi’s and they returned to GiGi’s in August. And they have been back every month since.

Tanzeh says, “Ollie and Nora love LMNOP. Nora wants to go to GiGi’s every weekend. The families and community have been wonderful as we navigate the challenges and joy of having a baby with Down syndrome. GiGi’s has shown us there is so much more possible for Ollie than we ever knew. We feel incredibly fortunate to have GiGi’s Playhouse in our community.”

And we are happy to be here for you.