Luca, You Make Me Better

I’ll never forget the moment I sat in my car outside of our house, on the phone with my midwife, as she explained that blood tests revealed there was a 98% chance our baby had Trisomy 21. This was only the beginning of our journey to receiving a confirmed prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis, followed by additional testing and monitoring throughout the pregnancy.

It’s amazing how quickly this seemingly heartbreaking information transformed into hopeful optimism. As my husband and I shared our news with family, friends, and people within the Down syndrome community, fear was overpowered by courage, doubt was overpowered by confidence, and sadness was overpowered by love. By the time Luca made his arrival, it was clear that his name—“bringer of light”—was not just a meaning, but a promise. He has already brought so much joy into our lives and continues to do so each and every day. He is our biggest blessing, and because of him, we are so grateful to be part of the lucky few.

We received our Jack’s Basket shortly after receiving our diagnosis, when I was on the hunt for resources/information about Down syndrome. Everything in the basket brought us so much happiness and hope, but one thing that stood out the most was a note from someone named Katie. It read, “Congratulations on your new baby! My life with Down syndrome is awesome, and your baby will be amazing!” Since receiving it, it has remained on our fridge as a constant reminder of the amazing community we get to be a part of and of the wonderful life our son has and will be able to live! We are so grateful to Jack’s Basket and to Katie for lifting our spirits and showing us that Down syndrome is nothing to fear!

Cassie, Luca’s Mom (Ohio)