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Down Syndrome: Local mom Jen Frost shares her journey
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own syndrome. There was a time when I was not very familiar with the term. Sure, I’d heard of Down syndrome and seen people who have it, but I never really paid attention until November 26, 2008. My son Logan was born that day at 9:32pm. He was diagnosed with Down syndrome at 9:35pm. The room went silent and the nurses asked me if I had done any tests before hand. I still didn’t know what was going on. My husband looked at me and said, “They think he has Down syndrome.” My world stopped for a moment and all I could think about was wanting to hold my new baby. I found the courage to speak and said I wanted my baby in my arms. The nurses cleaned him up and placed him on me. I looked at him and couldn’t see the down syndrome. My husband pointed out that Logan’s eyes were slanted and that this is a major characteristic of down syndrome. I still couldn’t believe it. I wanted a baby for so long and it took us 6 years to conceive. I made the decision on the spot that no matter what,
I would love this baby with all my heart and be the best mother I knew how to be. We were in the hospital for a few days as Logan had jaundice and they were running some tests on him. As my husband and I walked the halls in the pediatrics ward, we noticed there were tons of pictures on the walls of babies but none with Down syndrome. I promised my husband we would be the first. I had the nurses put a framed picture of Logan up on the wall so other parents that may deal with the same diagnosis would have an easier time adjusting and seeing it will all be okay. I quickly learnt that 1 in 800 babies are born with Down syndrome to mothers under the age of 35. Logan just happened to be that special one. Three days after he was born, I found out that he had a large hole in his heart which is very common with Down syndrome. He would need open heart surgery at some point. I mustered up enough cour-
LOCAL SUPPORT RESOURCES FAMILY GET-TOGETHER GROUP
PENTICTON, BC
Family Get-Together is a group of parents of children with a variety of disabilities including Down syndrome focusing on children 0-5 years of age. Run by local families and with the support of the Infant Development Person at the Boys & Girls Club, Family GetTogether aims to provide support, advocacy, resources, education and recreation for families with a child with a disability. Details: The group meets on the third Wednesday of the month at the Boys & Girls Club at 1295 Manitoba Street. Meetings start at 5pm and include a meal donated by the Boys & Girls Club. Bring your kids to share in the experience.
FAMILIES IN TOUCH
KELOWNA, BC
Families in Touch is comprised of families who have a child, youth, or adult with special needs. Everyone is welcome including children. Please come and join us for some companionship, sharing of information, and laughter. Details: The group meets informally for breakfast and/or coffee the second Friday of every month at 9:30am at ABC Country Restaurant, 1140 Harvey Ave., Kelowna (Beside Starbucks on the corner of Gordon and Harvey). Summer 2010 l 6
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