Nicola and Todd Bailey were overjoyed when they found out they were expecting again. Their son Lucas would be getting a new sibling, and their home would be filled with the warmth of a new life. A few months later, ultrasounds showed that they were actually going to have twins, and the family rejoiced once again!
All seemed to be going well with the babies in utero. The doctors went into the birth in February 2018 hoping and praying that everything would go according to plan.
After a long and arduous labor, the doctor finally delivered the twin girls into the world. The parents were elated and couldn’t have been more proud of their two healthy daughter – that is until the doctor said something that no one was expecting.
“I’m sorry,” said the doctor, stunned by what he was seeing.
Quinn emerged first, with a brief crop of blonde hair and an affable smile beaming across her face. Harper followed suit approximately 40 minutes later sporting markedly thicker and darker locks – but that wasn’t the only thing they noticed.
Harper appeared to be healthy from all her prenatal screenings. But not long after delivery, it was quickly apparent something was wrong.
Harper has Down Syndrome, which is found in one out of every 700 babies. Individuals with Down Syndrome usually have a smaller stature and slanted eyes. Additionally, they ordinarily possess lower muscle tone compared to other people.
Just because individuals with Down Syndrome share some similar traits, doesn’t mean they’re identical. They’re just like the rest of us who need an extra hand to get by in life.
Though it’s now typical for expectant mothers to undergo prenatal testing, some babies are still born with conditions like Down Syndrome that went undetected during the pregnancy. These birthing room surprises are often seen as a blessing from God!
While the doctor initially felt he needed to apologize for not catching Harper’s condition, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Todd and Nicola love both of their girls equally, regardless of any diagnosis.
“As soon as I saw them both, my heart just melted,” Nicola stated. “They were both so beautiful.”
The family is now working to end the stigma that exists around those with Down Syndrome. They say that strangers often stare at Harper when they see her, and all they want is for the world to be more open-minded towards their daughter and others who are like her.
Lucas loves his sisters just as much as each other, and he doesn’t see them any differently than anyone else. In terms of accepting people who may be different than us in terms of ability, nationality or skin color, we have a lot more ground to cover.
