Becoming a parent is full of worries and unknowns. Some of those can be predicted with modern medicine, but not always, and sometimes new parents want to save the surprise for the big day.
These days, it’s pretty normal to learn about possible complications long before the baby is born.
While this causes all sorts of moral and ethical debates, that’s not the story we’re telling here.
Instead, we’re focusing on the story of Jason Kneen and his daughter Rosie.
It started with a pair of tweets sharing Rosie’s infectious personality.
He captioned the adorable photo as a response to people who ask about having a child with Down Syndrome.
His tweets got thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.
Overwhelmed with the support, he decided to share more of his and Rosie’s story, even if it made him look bad.
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Jason admits that his first reaction to learning Rosie had Down Syndrome wasn’t a good one.
I’m sure he’s not alone, but that doesn’t make things like this any easier to admit. He began:
I was totally NOT ready for a child like Rosie. It was a shock when she was born and I’m ashamed to say I didn’t take it well initially.
And it’s hard to blame him.
When you’re expecting a child, you’re already overwhelmed with planning and advice. Now there are a million more things to learn and worry about.
Part of that was the matter-of-fact process that happens where you’re bombarded with documentation and booklets and basically “manuals” on “what’s wrong and going to go wrong with your child”
But while it was overwhelming at first, he realized it wasn’t that different.
Many children deal with slower growth, late motor skills, or learning difficulties, regardless of any prebirth diagnoses.
Rosie did have health problems, spending a few weeks hospitalized with bronchitis as an infant. Her mom stayed with her the whole time.
Rosie’s second hospitalization happened two years later with a bad case of pneumonia.
Since the family has just had another child, this time Jason stayed in the hospital with her, working remotely while watching Moana every day.
The visit lasted over Christmas and New Years, but the family made it as special as they could.
Rosie I and became thick as thieves.
A year later the whole family was together and healthy and you can just feel the love.
The thread prompted a ton of support, especially from families in similar situations. They shared photos of kids and siblings with Down Syndrome and also opened up about their initial doubts before falling in love with them.
Thank you all for the continued comments, mentions and love!