We are the Loots family, a mom and dad and 3 children – one of each!
Our story starts when I was pregnant with our third child and the 12weeks scan indicated a ¼ chance that the baby might have Down’s Syndrome. So, I had plenty of time to come to terms with this new unexpected path that we were going on now.
I used most of my pregnancy reading (only 2 books and never the internet as I was advised) and learning on what to expect, what to look out for, especially on early intervention. The absolute blessing was when I was told to “just phone the physio, Annemarie Steyn” – with just that, I googled and at last found a phone number and was able to talk to someone who knows and works with kids with DS.
The best piece of advice she gave me: Enjoy Gerhard’s first 4 weeks after birth, after that we start with therapy – so I did just that, had cuddle time, let him sleep with me in the bed, took day time naps with him, it was so different than the other two, when you were in the mindset of by that age they need to do that and be capable of this. This special one could bloom all on his own time – with hard work and frustration, but in his own time.
Gerhard was born, healthy and strong, weighing in on 4.2kg, the biggest of my three and with a head full of red hear!
When I look back now and think of all the friendships and contacts I have made just because Gerhard was born with DS, I realised that we have something that no other typical family will ever experience – this all-inclusive, no judgement, love without bounds between every other family with a DS child. Not once did someone who have a child with DS or knew a person with DS just walked past me, every single one stopped and chatted and ended off with: it is hard work, but it is SO worth the effort!
We are one tight knitted family and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.