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THE STORY OF NATHAN
In the 20th week of my pregnancy, my husband and I were absolutely shocked to find out that we were expecting twins. I never imagined that I would have twins, as they do not run in my family. At the next ob/gyn appointment, our obstetrician said that the ultrasound technician noticed a clubfoot on Twin B. No big deal, I learned, because all that is needed is some casting and a brace to wear at night. However, the doctors felt I should have a higher tech ultrasound at another hospital. Shortly after that appointment, we made the trip to the other hospital. The news was confirmed that Twin B did indeed have a clubfoot. The doctors then informed us that there also could be a 2% chance that something else could be "wrong". Did I want an amniocentesis?, they asked. I told them "no" because I would still keep the baby if there was anything wrong. We left the appointment and headed to the car. By the time I got to the parking lot, I was crying. I couldn't go another 20 weeks wondering if Twin B was "okay".
My husband and I met with a geneticist to give our family history. We didn't have much to tell her as no one in our families ever had a disability. I endured the double amniocentesis, as each twin had it's own amniotic sac. The geneticist told us that they would call us with the results when they came back in about two weeks. My thoughts were bouncing between optimism and absolute fear. After all, I was only 29 years old and neither of our families had any disabilities. The chances were quite low, only 2%. However, I went through many times of sheer panic. What if Twin B did have some sort of disability? What sort of life would our family lead? Could I handle the extra stress of raising a child with a disability? It was a very long 2 weeks until that day -a day I will never forget.December 30th, 1998.
It started off in the morning when my ob/gyn's office called my home asking if I could come in that afternoon "to speak with the doctor". My heart began racing. I had an appointment that very next day, so I knew something was wrong. Really wrong. The secretary knew nothing as to why I needed to go in. I said I would be there and hung up the phone with a knot in my stomach. I couldn't wait until the appointment to find out what was going on. I picked up the phone and called the geneticist at the hospital. When she answered the phone, I said, "This is Michelle.." and she said, "oh, God, I am so sorry". I almost dropped the phone, but managed to mutter, "What?" (Grand pause) "Oh. your doctor wanted to tell you.I am sorry, Michelle, Twin B has Down Syndrome". The news hit me hard. I thought that this was a nightmare and I wanted to wake up... now. I started crying and handed the phone over to my husband. I said, "Why is God punishing me?". Never in a million years did I think I would become a mother of a child with special needs.
Almost three years have passed since the birth of my twin boys. Nathan, a.k.a. "twin B", has become the sunshine in our lives. Don't get me wrong, I still wish Nathan didn't have a disability, but I am glad he is my son. Our lives have changed.for the better. Our oldest son, who is 5, is very accepting of people with different abilities. My husband and I created our own support group for parents of children with DS. We have met so many special people and it is all because of Nathan. Little things mean a lot more now. When Nathan reaches a milestone, we celebrate like we won the lottery. We know how hard Nathan works at doing things as he develops. It doesn't just come naturally. We no longer take things for granted.
Nathan has taught us the true meaning of life.
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