Happy New Year!

It’s 2017! We welcome the new year with excitement, knowing our grand opening is just around the corner. We have worked hard to get here. Now that we are a few months away from holding our first free programs and gatherings, we can’t help but pause and think of what GiGi’s Playhouse means to us. Yessica Fuentes, who is part of our start-up committee, shares what being part of GiGi’s Playhouse San Diego has meant for her.

Yessica’s Words

Being part of the Gigi’s Playhouse family has been a dream come true. We were devastated when we first found out from our doctors that our son would not only have a heart condition that would require open heart surgery, but also would have Down syndrome. As first time parents and not knowing much about either, it was difficult news to take in. What made things even harder was hearing all the negative information that was being provided to us by professionals every time we had an appointment.  One thing that we were certain about was that we were going to accept our son no matter what. At the time we had many questions and some fears of the unknown.

A Strong Support System

We were very fortunate to have had a very strong support system that kept our spirits high. The doctors and professionals couldn’t have been more wrong when they described what a child with Down syndrome would be like. Being part of the Gigi’s Playhouse family has helped us overcome many of our fears and concerns. Having the opportunity to speak and collaborate with other parents of children with the same diagnosis has been a remarkable experience. Gigi’s Playhouse is more than a name or a place, it is our community, a place where lives are enriched and families celebrate one’s accomplishments.