Tell us a little bit about you and your family…
My name is Kelli and I live in Grayslake IL. I am the mom of 2 girls, both with special needs. Laney is 18 months old and has Down syndrome. Macy is 3 years old with Autism.
What’s the one word you would pick to describe Laney?
Special.
What do you want the world to know about Down syndrome? What has Laney taught you?
Having a child with Down syndrome has changed our lives for the better. We have learned patience, empathy, patience, understanding, patience, unconditional love, and more. We see how hard Laney works to accomplish goals that come naturally others, so we celebrate those milestones even more once she accomplishes them.
Laney opened our eyes and made us see the value in all people, no matter what their ability level. Her positivity is infectious. She makes us better parents and better people. We love having her in our family and are grateful to be part of the amazing, supportive Down syndrome community.
What would you tell a parent who just received a diagnosis of Down syndrome for their child?
You’re allowed to grieve the child you thought you’d have, nobody plans to have a child with special needs. But you will be okay. You’ll be MORE THAN okay! This will be the best blessing in disguise you didn’t even know you needed. So embrace it. Jump two feet in. And momma, you’ve got this!
How has it been processing Macy’s recent diagnosis of Autism?
Thankfully we were already very familiar with Early Intervention, therapies to consider, and therapists in the area!
But we also already knew that a diagnosis doesn’t define our kids. They are both so much more than their diagnoses, and we knew the importance of “advocating like a mother!”
We are doing our best to support our two kiddos with special needs, loving them extra hard, and grateful they are making us better people and better parents!
How can people find you?
Thank you, Kelli, for sharing your heart. She is doing all the things for both of her girls…and running a business on top of it. Kelli is slaying motherhood and we all have so much to learn from her! Her girls are darling – I get the privilege of being with them locally and I hope her words are encouraging to you today.
2 Comments
Kelli
Thanks for sharing our story, others’ stories and showing the beauty of Down syndrome this month. ♥️
Julie Fabiszak
Thank you so much for being the articulate outgoing fierce Superwoman that I’ve always seen you be. You’re not raising a disease you’re raising a child. You rock it like I always knew you would! Just grateful to have you in my life.