Anna’s Story

The Christian Broadcasting Network: Down Syndrome Is Not a Burden, but Rather a Tremendous Gift

Article appeared in The Christian Broadcasting Network | By: Anna Lindblom | Photo credit: The Christian Broadcasting Network and Anna Lindblom

I was only 8 years old when my little brother Daniel was born.

But I vividly remember my mother crying a lot and my dad saying that he would have given his left arm for Daniel to get better. They spent the first few weeks of Daniel’s life desperately searching for answers and solutions for my baby brother’s lack of strength and inability to eat. Doctors told them he was incompatible with life – a heartbreaking phrase that no parents should ever hear.

When Daniel was six weeks old, we finally got the diagnosis that he had Down Syndrome, which came as an immense relief to my parents. While having a baby with Down Syndrome would create some changes and challenges for my family, we knew that we would be able to survive it.

When Daniel was six months old, he underwent open heart surgery to fix the hole in his heart. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, and he was able to drink from a bottle from there on out.

According to those around us, including many of the doctors, having a child with Down Syndrome would be a burden and a drain on families. But my family soon learned that nothing could be further from the truth. Daniel became a constant source of joy and light in our household and even for those around us, and my parents soon knew that they were being called to expand their family even more.