3 years, 26,280 hours, 1,576,800minutes of loving you and being on this journey with you. I will never forget how I felt the day I received your diagnosis. The fear, worry, anxiety I had consumed me. There are still moments I hear the specialist in my mind, “He may not crawl, he may not talk, he may not walk, he may have swallowing or breathing problems, he may need heart surgery as soon as he is born….OR……he may be as highly functioning as a child with this diagnosis can be.” The truth is, we don’t get to know what are child will be able to do, but that’s not just a child with Down Syndrome or a child with special needs, that is any child.
When our older two children were born, we took so much for granted. We never questioned whether they would walk, talk, or reach those familiar milestones. It never occurred to us that they might face a health challenge or diagnosis that would change the course of their lives—and ours. I share this not to create fear or worry for your own child or loved one, but to remind you to be mindful of the countless blessings, big and small, that God gives us each day. It’s easy to overlook these gifts in the busyness of life, but when we pause and give thanks, we see His hand in even the smallest moments. And without pausing we miss these moments, these blessings.
If Myles has taught us anything, it’s to slow down and fully embrace each moment. He’s shown us the beauty in celebrating the small wins, not just the big milestones. Over the past three years, Myles has been through so much—weekly or biweekly Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Chiropractic care, and early intervention through Birth to Three. He’s seen specialists in cardiology, sleep, ENT, and of course, his regular well-child visits, along with a few other appointments I’m probably forgetting.
Is Down syndrome hard? Yes. Raising a child with special needs or a disability can be incredibly challenging—it’s life-changing in so many ways. But it’s also a journey filled with grace, growth, and moments of joy we never could have imagined.
Last Christmas, during Mass, Father spoke about pure joy—the kind of joy that only God can give us, a joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. When I look into Myles’s eyes, I see that joy. It’s a reminder of the deep truth found in Scripture: we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God knew us before we were even formed in our mother’s womb, and He knows every hair on our head. God doesn’t make mistakes. Each one of us is carefully crafted in His image, according to His plan and purpose.
Children with special needs, like Myles, are no exception. They are sent to us for a reason, with a purpose we may not always understand, but one that is deeply woven into God’s grand design. Every day with Myles reminds me of the beauty and purpose behind his life, and the incredible joy that comes from seeing God’s handiwork in him.
Three years ago, I prayed with all my heart for God to “heal” Myles. I prayed that He would take away the Down syndrome, and I found myself angry—angry with God, asking, Why me? Why my child? Why my family? I still wish I could go back and tell myself to trust God more fully.
What I couldn’t see at the time is that Myles was sent to me, not for me to change him, but to heal me. He came to teach me, to open my eyes, and to show me the world through the most beautiful, purest lens. My heart aches so much now when I think about how hard I prayed for God to change His path for us, but I am beyond grateful He didn’t answer that prayer. It was through trusting God and walking this journey with Him that I began to understand the deeper truth—that God has a purpose for each of us, and His path for us is more beautiful than we could ever imagine, even when we don’t fully understand it.
I pray that you, too, will trust God’s plan for your life. I pray you’ll surrender control and open your heart to the beauty that comes from walking with Him, knowing that His vision is so much clearer than our own. May you, like me, see the world through the most beautiful eyes—His eyes.