Hidden Blessings

The Hidden Blessings That Come With Living With Someone Who Has Down Syndrome

Hi! I’m Lucia Duffy, and I’m a proud GiGi’s Playhouse Youth Board Member. I come from a big family, I have five sisters, three brothers, a dog, and two parents who love and support me.

A year and seven months ago we welcomed the newest member to our family, Valentina Stella-Maris. When my mom was five months pregnant with Valentina, the doctors told her there was a 99% chance Valentina would be born with Down syndrome. When my parents told my siblings and I this news, I didn’t know what to expect, and there was a lot of uncertainty between me and my siblings about Valentina’s diagnosis. I really had no idea what Down syndrome was, other than that it was a “disability”, and I certainly had no idea how much Valentina was going to change me and my family’s life for the better. 

I think many people assume that children with Down Syndrome are more difficult than babies who are born without this condition. From my experience, this is not true. I think the challenges are just different. For example, it is crucial that we give Valentina her thyroid medicine every single night (many children with Down syndrome have thyroid problems). Valentina took a little longer to learn to nurse and eat and she has taken a little longer than other babies to crawl. Valentina’s challenges make her victories more special and taught my family a lot about love and patience.   

Valentina has a way of making all of us feel happy in a way that no one else can. When I come home from school, on good and bad days, Valentina is always waiting for me,  usually in her highchair, with a big smile on her face. Her innocence and pure joy can shift a person’s mood completely. Everything about Valentina is genuine and sweet. Being able to uplift the mood and spirits of everyone around you by just being yourself is a special gift. 

Having Valentina in my life has made a profound difference.  I’ve seen myself and the people around me grow in patience, compassion and affection because of Valentina. When Valentina was born, I wondered how my little brother Patrick (who is 4 years old) would handle this big change. To my pleasant surprise, Patrick adores Valentina! Sometimes, when he thinks no one’s looking, I find him singing softly to her and rubbing her head gently. I know he can sense her innocence and vulnerability, and it makes him want to sing to her and protect her. Valentina has this effect on everyone in my family. She’s our treasure and the one thing my big, crazy family agrees on.  Our love for her and our desire to protect and care for her has given us a common and stronger bond as a family.  Valentina is a treasure.