October 15, 2026

Joshua, You Make Me Better

“I’m sorry.”

Those were the first words I heard from someone I had never met, over the phone, when I was just 11 weeks pregnant.

Our NIPT results had come back showing a 95% chance that our baby had Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome.

What should have been a time filled with excitement and joy quickly became filled with fear, grief, uncertainty, and so many questions. We received phone call after phone call from doctors explaining our options, the risks, the statistics, and all the medical conditions that could come with a Down syndrome diagnosis.

We were overwhelmed. We were scared. We grieved the future we had imagined, not because we loved our baby any less, but because we were terrified of the unknown. We wondered what life would look like for our family. How would we tell our other two children? How would we prepare them? How would we prepare ourselves?

But one thing was never a question. We already loved Baby Joshua more than words could ever explain. We couldn’t imagine our lives without him.

My pregnancy continued as normally as it could, until 32 weeks, when we were given news no parent should ever have to hear. We were told there was only a 5% chance our baby would survive.

At 34 weeks pregnant, just three days before Christmas, I was sent to Labor and Delivery for a C-section. Baby Joshua entered the world and was immediately taken to the NICU. I didn’t get to hold him. I didn’t get to soak in those first precious moments. I didn’t even get to see my baby for the first 24 hours of his life.

Instead of hearing “Congratulations!” We continued to hear two words that had followed us since the beginning of our journey.

“I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry” for his diagnosis. “I’m sorry” for the complications. “I’m sorry” for everything that could go wrong.

But we didn’t need people to be sorry that Joshua was here. We needed someone to celebrate him. We needed someone to see the beautiful little boy we already knew he was.

And then, when Baby Joshua was just one week old, we met Dr. Plummer.

She walked into our room and said words I will never forget:

“Congrats on your baby! He is so precious, and you are so lucky to call him yours!”

For the first time, someone saw our son before they saw his diagnosis.

Dr. Plummer didn’t walk into our room with pity. She walked in with joy, compassion, hope, and a genuine love for our little boy.

Those words may have seemed simple to her, but to us, they meant everything. After months of hearing everything that could be wrong with our baby, someone finally reminded us of everything that was right. He was here. He was ours. And he was worth celebrating.

Dr. Plummer fought so hard for Baby Joshua. She listened to us, answered every question without judgment, and took the time to explain things in ways we could understand. She never made us feel like our fears or questions were too much. When things felt impossible, she offered reassurance. When I was overwhelmed, she hugged me. When we needed someone in our corner, she was there. For the first time since entering the NICU, my husband and I felt truly seen. We weren’t just parents of a baby with a diagnosis. We were a mom and dad who loved their little boy more than anything and were trying to navigate a world we knew nothing about.

It was also Dr. Plummer who requested a Jack’s Basket for our family. At the time, we had no idea what Jack’s Basket was or just how much it would come to mean to us.

Carissa was incredibly patient as she waited for the right time to deliver our basket. And when she finally came to the hospital, she brought so much more than a basket. She brought kindness. She brought understanding. She brought hope.
And she gave me a hug. It was in that moment that I realized something I will carry with me forever:

No matter what happens throughout Baby Joshua’s life, he will never have to face it alone. He doesn’t just have his family standing behind him. He has an entire community in his corner, ready to love him, support him, celebrate him, and cheer him on. Jack’s Basket reminded us that a Down syndrome diagnosis is not something to apologize for. It is not the end of a beautiful story. It is simply part of a story that deserves to be celebrated from the very beginning.

Today, when I look at Baby Joshua, I don’t see the percentages, the statistics, or the medical possibilities we were told to fear. I see the happiest, most loving little boy. I see his smile, his personality, his strength, and the incredible amount of love he brings into our home.

Joshua makes us better in ways I never could have imagined.

He makes us better people. Better advocates. A better family. He makes me a better mom.

He has taught us to be stronger, to love harder, and to find joy in places we may have overlooked before. He has taught us to slow down, to appreciate the little moments, and to celebrate every single accomplishment, no matter how big or small.

Things we may have once taken for granted are now some of our greatest celebrations.

Joshua has shown us that life doesn’t have to look the way we originally imagined for it to be absolutely beautiful.

Down syndrome does not define Joshua. It is a part of who he is, but it is not all that he is. It is a part of his story, but it will never be his whole story.

He is a son. A little brother. A fighter. A joy. A blessing. And above all, he is Joshua.

I often think back to that very first phone call and those first two words: “I’m sorry.”

If I could go back and speak to the scared mom I was at 11 weeks pregnant, I would tell her that there is so much more joy ahead than she can possibly imagine. That there will be hard days, but there will also be beautiful days. That her little boy will teach her more about love, strength, patience, and happiness than she ever thought possible. And I would tell her that one day, instead of being surrounded by fear of the unknown, she will be surrounded by people who see just how extraordinary her little boy truly is.

I will forever be grateful to Dr. Plummer, Carissa, and Jack’s Basket for helping us see that we were not alone and for reminding us that Joshua’s life was worth celebrating from day one. Every family deserves to hear “Congratulations” when welcoming their baby into the world. Every baby deserves to be celebrated, loved, and seen for who they are, not just for a diagnosis they carry.

Our story may have started with “I’m sorry,” but that is not how I want Joshua’s story to be told. His story is one of love. Of hope. Of strength. Of community. And of a little boy who has changed our world in the most beautiful way.

Baby Joshua is our miracle, our greatest blessing, and my greatest inspiration.

And if there’s one thing I wish someone had told us from the very beginning, it’s this: “Congratulations. Your baby is going to change your life in the most beautiful ways.”

-Tessa, Joshua’s Mom (Minnesota)

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