When Nicola and Todd Bailey found out about their second pregnancy, they couldn’t have been more excited. Their son Lucas was going to get a new sibling, and their home would be lit up by the warmth of a new life. A few months later, ultrasounds showed that they were actually going to be blessed with twins and the family rejoiced once again!
The babies seemed healthy as could be in the womb. The doctors went into the birth in February 2018 will all the positivity in the world that the birth would go exactly as planned.
The twin daughters were finally ready to enter this world, and the family was as prepared as could be. But no one was ready for what the doctor said after successfully delivering the second beautiful baby.
“I’m sorry,” the doctor said quietly, stunned by what he was seeing.
Quinn came out first, with a tiny tuft of blonde hair and a happy smile across her face. Next came Harper about 40 minutes later. She had thicker, darker hair but that wasn’t the only thing that they noticed.
Harper seemed healthy as a clam on all of her ultrasound tests. But once she was delivered, her condition made itself obvious right off the bat.
You see, Harper has Down Syndrome. The genetic condition is found in one out of every 700 babies. Those born with Down Syndrome tend to have a smaller stature, slightly slanted eyes, and lower muscle tone than others.
Despite the common characteristics of those with Down Syndrome, that’s not to say that they are all the same. These are just people like the rest of us, they just need a little more help to navigate this crazy world of ours.
These days, prenatal testing for issues like Down Syndrome is common practice in the process of giving birth. But clearly the process isn’t perfect, and some babies slip through detection. They end up being birthing room surprises, a blessing from God that no one saw coming!
The doctor thought he needed to apologize about not detecting Harper’s condition, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Regardless of the diagnosis, Todd and Nicola knew that they were going to love both of these beautiful baby girls with all of their heart!
“As soon as I saw them both, my heart just melted,” Nicola said. “They were both so beautiful.”
Now the family is working to take down the stigma surrounding those with Down Syndrome. They claim that strangers stare at Harper when they are passing by, and they wish that the world would be more accepting of their daughter and others like her.
Lucas loves both of his sisters equally, and he doesn’t seem them as different as the rest of the world does. We still have a long way to go in terms of accepting people who are different than us – be it their physical/mental ability, country of origin or the color of their skin.
What do you think about this inspiring family? Share in the comments!