Finding out you are pregnant is one of the most wonderful (and scary) feelings, and the last thing any of us expect is for something to go wrong.
Sadly, this was the case for mum-of-two Lorraine, whose little girl Lilah was born with Down syndrome.
“This time last year if you had told me where I would be today I don't think I would have believed it. I never thought my life would involve having a child with a disability - it was something that just didn’t happen to ‘people like me' - but there she was, this beautiful, peachy-skinned little angel. And she was mine. And she had Down syndrome,” explained Lorraine.
Honestly revealing that she was “heartbroken”, Lorraine admits that she was sad for what the future might hold for her daughter and sad for her family: “Down syndrome just hadn’t been part of the plan.”
Overtime, however, the disability started to take a back seat and Lorraine is very proud of her little girl who, at the age of four months, underwent open heart surgery.
"When it comes to our family, Lilah is just one of the gang and is a huge part of our family and our extended family. Though everyone obviously knows that she has Down syndrome, to us she is first and foremost our baby girl or, as her big brother likes to call her, “our princess”. We dote over her and, in her short ten months of life, she has opened our eyes to so much!"
Just like other mums and dads, Lorraine has hopes and dreams for her little girl, one being that she attends mainstream school, believing it is important that those with Down syndrome are included in society. And it is thanks to family support and The Down Syndrome Centre that she truly believes this is a possibility.
To Lorraine the centre is a place where Lilah can grow and learn: “I find it to be a place of enormous hope, where each child is celebrated, seen as an individual and seen for their abilities not their disabilities."
Being Ireland's first (and only) services-led centre for children with Down syndrome, it provides vital intervention services such as Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, services for new parents, an early intervention service called SKIP and many others. To ensure they can continue their work, they are calling on women to take part the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon in aid of The Down Syndrome Centre.
“It's more than just a centre where therapies are provided, it's a centre full of hope and very cute little people, who all rely on this place for the extra supports that might not be provided otherwise. It's also a huge support for families who find themselves faced with a diagnosis of Down syndrome and, from someone who has been there, that support is invaluable.”
Entries for the VHI Mini Marathon open on Wednesday, 17th February. Once registered you can get in touch with The Down Syndrome Centre for your mini marathon pack.
SHARE if you plan on taking part in the VHI Mini Marathon.
