Why GiGi’s | Lisa

Picture of a little boy with Down syndrome

We were told about halfway through the pregnancy with my first son that, due to prenatal screening results, our son had a 1 in 150 chance of having Down syndrome. We were given additional options to confirm whether or not he had Down syndrome. My husband and I decided to not proceed with additional testing…

Read More

Why GiGi’s? | Danielle

Why did I choose speech therapy as a profession? Why do I have a passion for early intervention? Why do I want to be a part of GiGi’s Playhouse? Why do I love volunteering? Why do I see a special light in people with Down syndrome? I do not have the perfect answer for these…

Read More

Why GiGi’s? | Ashley

Girl with Down syndrome in dirt bike helmet

The numbness trickled thru every cell in my body. This wasn’t happening. Surreal probably described it best. In one second our entire life changed forever. Our naïve selves believed the vision of our “perfect” family was utterly shattered… Down syndrome. AVSD. The drive home from the doctor’s office was silent and filled with tears. Lying…

Read More

Why GiGi’s? | Niki

Boy with Down syndrome holding a rattle

When Matthew was born, we were surprised with the news that not only did he need heart surgery but he also has Down syndrome. As the weeks passed, we slowly started to find out what that meant for him and our family. We didn’t have a crazy story. Everyone we spoke with was very kind…

Read More

Why GiGi’s? | Olivia

Girl with Down syndrome smiling with her hand on her cheek

“…so we believe she has Trisomy 21.” “Trisomy 21?”, I asked confused and concerned. “Down syndrome”, the doctor clarified. I felt pain in my chest and my heart shattered to pieces, I could barely breathe. As I held my first born child, all of these horrible thoughts flashed by in my mind, “She will never…

Read More

Why GiGi’s? | April

Boy with Down syndrome in snow

A little over nine years ago, before moving to the Sacramento area, I gave birth to my first angel baby, Dante Antonio Davila. His entry into this world was one that mirrors our journey today…joyfully turbulent. On October 7, 2009, I laid in the recovery room at Kaiser in Walnut Creek, scared, after an emergency C-section and…

Read More

Why GiGi’s? | Sasha

Two girls with Down syndrome in matching outfits

In October of 2009 we were told the baby I was carrying would have Down syndrome.  Our precious Zoey was born in January 2010 and our journey began!  Zoey grabbed our hands and took us through a gate to the most beautiful world I’ve ever known! In November 2017 Ruby came home to us from…

Read More

Why GiGi’s? | Nicole

Boy with Down syndrome in a tie and checkered shirt

Nicholas is our third and final child. After our second child, we weren’t sure if we should have another baby; we were in our mid-thirties, we’d had two kids in 2.5 years, and my career was just starting to recover from two maternity leaves. And the cost of daycare! But we were talking one night…

Read More

Why GiGi’s? | Brooke

Four women smiling at the camera

My heart for this beautiful thing called Down syndrome was lit on fire far before I can remember. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my aunt Lynette, who in my eyes ruled the entire world and was without a question the coolest, funniest and most loyal person on the planet. She gave me the permission…

Read More