Sharing Zoey to Change Perceptions

We are thrilled to welcome Heather, the proud mom of Zoey to GiGi’s Blog today!  We asked Heather to share about Zoey and the wonderful little girl she is.  Enjoy and be prepared to smile!

Zoey came into this world pretty much the same way she lives it – with authority and on her own terms. She has always been full of surprises. She entered this world two weeks earlier than planned and within minutes of being born nurses and doctors informed that she showed markers and features of Down syndrome, which were later confirmed with a test.

It took some time for the initial shock to wear off and for me to process that life was going to be different than I had imagined, but as time passed by, Zoey continued to surprise me by showing me that life, with her and Down syndrome, wouldn’t be as different as I had thought.

I was told by doctors to expect delays with milestones, such as walking, talking, and simple tasks such as sitting independently or eating solid foods.

Zoey wasn’t hearing any of it.

She has tenacity and determination all of her own and was bound and determine to not allow her diagnosis to define or limit her. Zoey was 6 months old when she sat up independently, unassisted, for the first time – but the shocker of it all is that she did so in the hospital, only three days after having open-heart surgery.

She took her first steps at 11 months and was walking a little after her first birthday. She ate solid food in the same time frame as “typical” children – because guess what? She is a typical child. She’s a typical child who happens to also have Down syndrome – and this is what Zoey has taught me in her 5 years on this earth.

Zoey has taught me that having a diagnosis of Down syndrome is just that – a diagnosis, but at the end of the day – Zoey is Zoey; a little 5-year-old girl who is as typical as any other 5-year-old girl. Zoey is a vivacious, smart, confident, sassy, and fun 5-year-old whose mission in life is to make people smile, explore, play, and entertain anyone willing to watch her sing and dance. Life with Zoey is summed up with playgrounds, bounce houses, trampolines, dance, gymnastics, Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Moana, Elmo and friends, chicken nuggets, French fries, chippies, juice, mac and cheese, and her all-time favorite – ice cream! Zoey learned her letters and numbers at the age of 3 and is now in Kindergarten getting ready to learn how to read! She is silly and fun and has sass for days, but I wouldn’t change a single thing about her because, to me, she’s perfect just the way God has intended her to be.

Heather answers a few more questions for us.

How did You learn about GiGi’s Playhouse Syracuse?

What does it mean to you to have a GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center in your community?

What does Down syndrome advocacy mean to you? Why is it important?

  Down syndrome advocacy means everything to me; it means speaking up for my daughter’s rights and educating the world on what it truly means to have a diagnosis of Down syndrome. I advocate so that my child gets equal opportunities and treatment, just as any other child would.  As a parent, you want your child to be happy, to be accepted, to be treated fairly – regardless of the color of their skin, their gender, their physical features, abilities, diagnosis, etc. I want the world to know that a person born with Down syndrome is an individual person first, capable of achieving anything they set their mind to and that they should never be defined or categorized because of their diagnosis. I will share Zoey’s life with the world in hopes of educating even one person that Down syndrome is not scary, but rather beautiful and completely capable of accomplishing and achieving anything.

Thank you Heather for sharing! We love learning more about Zoey!  If you would like to share your loved one’s story we would like to connect! Please email Heather Rodriguez at hrodriguez@gigisplayhouse.org 

Learn more about Down syndrome here.