To the Mom Who Thought a Down Syndrome Diagnosis Was Devastating News

If I could go back to the day I received what I deemed “the most devastating news ever” — that my newborn son had Down syndrome — I would say, “Girl, you shed an extreme amount of unhappy tears on a day that was supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life.”

I would tell myself, “Just wait, you’re going to experience a need to protect like you’ve never felt before. You will fully understand what the term ‘mama bear’ means.”

I would tell myself, “Greyson will always be able to turn your frown upside down.”

I would tell myself, “Greyson is going to teach you patience, empathy and compassion.”

I would warn myself, “You’re going to realize your special needs son is special — but not because he has an extra chromosome,”

I would say, “Don’t stress about what his future holds; cherish his preciousness now.”

I would insist, “Don’t read the crap on the internet about Down syndrome or what ‘they’ say will happen.”

I assure myself, “Greyson is going to amaze you with his ability. You’re going to use the term ‘quick study’ when referring to your little man.”

I would console myself. “I know you’re going to worry about what strangers whisper about your son, but you will become oblivious to those around you. You won’t look for the stares. You’ll find strangers who are smitten with your blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby boy.”

I would tell myself, “You’re going to be so proud of your son and excited when he reaches each milestone. You’re going to become his biggest cheerleader, proudly touting each and every accomplishment.”

If I could go back to the day I got Greyson’s diagnosis, I would simply say, “You, with the love and support of your family and friends, got this! You’re going to be fine. More important, he is going to be fine. Actually, he is going to be better than fine.”

This post originally appeared on Greyson and Gavin’s Ma.

The Mighty is asking its readers this question: If you could go back to the day you (or a loved one) got a diagnosis, what would you tell yourself? If you’d like to participate, please send a blog post to community@themighty.com. Please  include a photo for the piece, a photo of yourself and 1-2 sentence bio.