Day 16 of October Down Syndrome Awareness Month! We are celebrating people with Down syndrome by sharing our local individuals with Down syndrome every day this month with their stories. Help spread awareness, acceptance, and meaningful inclusion in schools and community!
Cassandra is our multiple miracle baby. She grew in vitro and was frozen as an embryo for 18 months and was the best embryo of all to thaw. A lot of embryos with Down syndrome don’t make it through pregnancy, but she made it to full term even with a partially detached placenta. Best of all, she was born healthy at 7 pounds and 14 ounces just needing a UV light blanket for her jaundice, and the holes or gaps in her heart healed on their own. She is now 15 months old and has eight teeth and can crawl and cruise and climb and feed herself and help put on and take off her clothes, and she says dadada and mamama and uses sign language to sign for “more.” She loves to play with all toys—especially musical toys—loves to ride her choo choo train toy and loves to play peekaboo and make faces and babble. Her hugs, kisses, smiles and games bring her two year old sister and
her parents so much joy.
Olga Ruiz Baken
#downsyndromeawarenessmonth
#StepUp4DownSyndrome
#inclusionmatters
#Extraordinary
#theluckyfew