October 20-26: Canadian Down Syndrome Week – Ariana’s Story

Written by a Grandview parent

My husband and I are proud parents to three beautiful children, ages seven, five and three months. There is never a dull moment in our house, and we wouldn’t change one bit of it.

Seven years ago, our beautiful baby girl, Ariana, was born. She was the image of perfection and everything we could have dreamt of. Shortly after birth, she was having trouble breathing and was put in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for the first time. As new parents, we were terrified but had all the faith in the world that she would be okay and we would be taking her home in no time.

The next day, the paediatrician walked in to inform us that her breathing was under control, but he also let us know that the breathing issue was the least of his concerns. At this time, we received the very unexpected news that Ariana was born with Down Syndrome and had a hole in her heart.

Having so much information thrown at us all at once was indescribable. We had a diagnosis, health complications, appointments to rush to and juggling just being first-time parents. To say the first three months of Ariana’s life were overwhelming is a complete understatement. It was incredibly isolating and daunting trying to navigate this world alone.

This is where our journey with Grandview Kids began. I remember the first time I walked through the doors, not knowing what to expect. I was greeted with smiles from the staff, eager to meet our sweet girl. It was the first time anyone said, “Congratulations.” I could finally breathe again, knowing that we had found our place—a place of acceptance, love and support.

Ariana has received many services through Grandview Kids, including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Medical Services and Social Work. Ariana has moved mountains with her development and continues to blow us away daily. She has come from being non-verbal to now speaking in sentences. She holds her pencil perfectly and is practicing writing her name by herself. She runs, jumps, rides a bike and swims like a fish. I could go on and on about everything she can do today that took a lot of practice, determination and guidance from Grandview Kids.

My family would not be where we are today without the help of Grandview Kids. Clients and caregivers in the Durham Region can utilize life-changing programs and services that changed my little girl’s life.