Sometimes people ask us why we have chosen this path... Why are we adopting children from overseas? Why are we adopting children with Down syndrome and known medical problems?Why would we want to do that?! For us, the answer is easy and obvious! We have stepped into this fully aware and completely excited! We know what we are getting into!! We know about adoption and attachment, and we know about Down syndrome! We do not want to sound like we know everything there is to know, because we most certainly do not! But that is a big part of where we are trusting God!!! And our hearts! We know what a blessing it has been to be Madalyn's parents!!! Like a fellow blogger put it, "there is nothing like the love of a child with Down syndrome". There just isn't...
We were told our daughter would have Down syndrome about a month before she was born. It was hard and we were very confused! "Our" hopes and dreams for this first-born daughter of ours (after 6 boys) were gone. But as soon as we saw her, we fell in love with her and it didn't matter anymore. Yes, we had to adjust a few things. But Madalyn is so precious and we are so blessed to have her in our life! I know with my whole heart that until you have a person with Down syndrome who is very close in your life, or know someone who does, you will not understand what a special blessing you have! She is not a mistake, a problem, an option that you can get rid of.... she is
a person who will bring you more blessings and love in your life than you will ever know!!!
It is devastating to know that the abortion rate in this country for a child with DS, is above 90%. Please, if you've had that prenatal testing and received a positive result, know that we understand what you are going through and your grief, but we also are on the other side and we can tell you of all the positives and the blessings! Believe me, Madalyn has brought more blessings than I ever thought I would see! We absolutely cannot wait to have 2 more of these precious beauties in our life!!!

Please read this amazing testimony of another family that has chosen to become the adoptive parents of 3 children with Down syndrome. It is a beautiful story.....

http://www.only1mom.com/2010/07/she-was-born-on-4th-of-july.html

We are so blessed to live in this time, and in this country, where open heart surgery like our daughter's is very common. We had some awesome surgeons who have done this surgery many times and know what they are doing! They did a great job, and not only repaired her ASD and resulting pulmonary hypertension, they found her very tiny VSD and repaired it as well! Our pediatrician compared her heart surgery to having her tonsils out. The risk anyway... pretty amazing, huh?! I have said this before, but The Children's Hospital in Denver (ranked one of the top 10 Children's Hospital's in the nation in 2010), is an amazing place! There are wonderful and amazingly smart people there!!