down syndrome.

HOURS AFTER PAYTON was born, four doctors walked into my hospital room, one after another, with somber looks on their faces. I already knew in my heart that our baby girl had Down syndrome. Deep down, I was still hoping that I was wrong, but they confirmed my worst fears. 

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Then they quietly filed out of the room. As soon as the heavy, metal door closed behind them, my husband and I looked at each other and began sobbing. Then the questions began.

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What are we going to do with a child with Down syndrome? What kind of life capacity is she going to have? What are we going to do financially?

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We continued talking and crying and worrying, with all of our questions boiling down to one: What will life be like for our daughter, and for us?

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{source :: excerpts from our contribution of our story to this book}

As we tried to process our newborn baby girl's diagnosis of Down syndrome, we felt as though our hearts had literally been ripped from our chests. We felt as if the air had been removed from the room. We felt as though we could not process our own thoughts. The fear, the pain, the love, the heartache.

How does that saying go? If only we knew then what we know now.

We would experience the pain of Payton's diagnosis a million times over to experience the love and happiness that she has brought to our lives. And because of her... we were able to open our hearts and bring Nika home from Russia.

Just when you think you have learned what you need to know in life,
someone special comes into it and shows just how much more there is. 
~Unknown