Our Little Man

To introduce ourselves we are the Stevens; Owen, Connie, Sidney (four years old), and last but not least, Alex (thirteen months old) with Down syndrome. 

We were all very excited for the arrival of our new little person into the family.  When the day arrived for Alex to make his big entrance into the world, no one could of told us what challenges lay ahead.  Alex arrived into this world by C-section.  Owen and I remember vividly how his tiny face was all scrunched up and screaming about his rude awakening.  We couldn’t have been more proud than at that moment------We had a son!!!! 

Owen and I did not notice anything out of the ordinary with Alex other than the medical team seemed to be overly interested in him.  It was not until the next day that we started noticing how the medical staff in post-pardom seemed to be very careful with me and then the pediatrician came in to talk with us.  I remember the pediatrician asking “Did we notice anything that seemed different about Alex?”  I felt as if a bombshell was about to go off with such an open-ended question.  Then it did….  The pediatrician proceeded to tell us that she thought Alex had Down syndrome and wanted to order some genetic tests for him.  I remember thinking what right did she have to tell me that my son was less than perfect.  I couldn’t even begin to tell you all that I was thinking or feeling, just that it felt as if one bomb after another kept going off in my head; and in all of our hearts.

From that point on nobody could have prepared us for the onslaught of feelings (the emotional roller coaster), the NICU, and the bevy of doctor appointments for the next month or the years to follow.  I remember that I kept telling my husband, my friends and myself; despite what Alex is diagnosed with, “He Is Our Little Boy And Nothing Is Going To Change That!”  Just with that belief and the support of Owen, family and friends gave me a resolve that all would be OK.  The extent of Alex’s challenges at that point was getting his severe reflux and weight gaining issues under control.  Alex has found success with reduced reflux and gaining weight.  As for the emotional roller coaster, we will always feel the ups and downs in some unsuspected way, but the feelings will never feel as raw as they did when Alex was born.  Once everything started to settle down emotionally, Owen and I needed to get as much information and talk to other families like our own.  It is really amazing despite what “experts” we have become, life really does go on no matter what challenges or successes are down the road for Alex or ourselves.

Alex has Down syndrome, but he will always be his own unique person and yet no different than you and me.  To this day, Alex is a beautiful, vivacious little man who is working very hard to keep up with his sister.  He amazes us all and is a constant joy and inspiration to us.  Despite how much his family and therapists teach and work with Alex; Alex will always teach us, that we are all unique with our own set of challenges and an infinite amount of potential.

Thank you Alex.