Meet the Diaz Family

In this new series, we will spotlight how GiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough is a place of hope for families with children of all ages—from newborn to adult. Whether your child is 46 DAYS old or 46 YEARS old (or younger….or older!), GiGi’s provides a range of purposeful, enriching programs meet your needs while also serving as a place of support and education for families.

Noah Diaz will never remember his very first visit to GiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough.  But his mom, Melissa (who was carrying six-week-old Noah in her arms), will never forget it.

“I walked into the Playhouse one way: overtaken with tremendous fear, uncertainty, and even depression. And then I came out completely changed: with feelings of positivity, optimism, hope, and even excitement for what the future could hold for my son.”

This a stark difference from how Melissa was made to feel when she was 18 weeks pregnant and it was confirmed that her baby would likely have Down syndrome.

“I’ve spoken to many other women who had a positive experience with their Down syndrome pregnancies, but I did not,” she says. “Honestly, there was a 6-week period, from my 18^th to 24^th week of pregnancy, where tremendous pressure was put on me to get an amnio so I could confirm 100% if there was Down syndrome and then ‘decide what I wanted to do.’”

“I was told over and over things like: your child is going to have a ton of medical issues, medical care is going to very expensive and will cause financial trouble, your child won’t be able to do so many things, having a child with Down syndrome will put a big strain on your marriage, and the list of scary things went on.”

Luckily, Melissa met two doctors who not only gave her much-needed support but also told her of a little place in Hillsborough called GiGi’s Playhouse.

Melissa didn’t reach out to GiGi’s right away. Then, after the birth of Noah, she found herself still in a very depressed state. “I loved my son so much, but I couldn’t shake all the fears I had.  Growing up, I had two family members with Down syndrome, and their lives always seemed difficult to me. I was afraid of how this all would impact my daughter Emma, who is 18 months older than Noah. I couldn’t help but think about the long-term: when I die, who will care for Noah? I worried about Noah being bullied in school, being teased. I worried about my ability to give him all the support and help he would need. I worried about finances, my marriage. I worried about Noah’s health. I just worried.”

It was Melissa’s husband, Keith, who made the initial call to GiGi’s to convey what they were going through and find out how GiGi’s could help.

“Erin Morris called me soon after,” Melissa says. That woman. She saved me. Saved me. She invited me to the Playhouse. We brought Noah in; he was just six weeks old. For the first time I learned and saw first-hand all that my son would be able to do if he had the right supports.  I was filled with hope that day.”

Noah is now two years old. He has enjoyed the Happy Hands, LMNOP, and 2 & Under Playgroup, while   Melissa enjoys the opportunities GiGi’s provides for parent-to-parent communication, knowledge-sharing, and emotional support.

Melissa not only wants to continue to participate in more programs at GiGi’s, but she also wants to be a part of the GiGi’s mission to help change the way the world views individuals with Down syndrome.

“I really want to be there for other parents in my situation who receive that diagnosis and feel nothing but fear,” she says. “Because of GiGi’s, I now know that Noah can achieve many things in life. I want other parents to know this too!”