Knoxville, Tennessee
My name is Linda Beets and I am a 31 year old mother to a beautiful little girl named Karlee, who just so happens to have mds. I hope any new parent who reads this can feel better about their child's lives and know that this diagnosis is not the end of the world. It is not what we Karlee is all about. She just so happened to have a chromosome test at birth. Can you imagine what chaos we would all be in if we had a chromosome test at birth? Anyway, I hope you enjoy our story!

On 4/26/99 at 1:00 a.m. my water broke. Karlee's due date was 5/12/99. She decided to come a little early. My husband and I drove straight to the hospital after he showered! We spent all night and half the next day in labor. When my doctor checked me at 2:30 p.m. he decided it had been her bottom he had felt earlier instead of her head and told us she was breach and they would have to do a c-section. So, she was born 4/27/99 at 3:13 p.m.
When I first heard her cry it just didn't seem to be as strong as I imagined when I was pregnant. Even though I was under anesthesia the whole thing just seemed different that I had pictured. My husband held her first and then he brought her over to me. I thought the first time I saw her that her face just didn't look like I had imagined. When the doctors left I asked my husband I said "What's wrong with her, she looks like she has Down Syndrome or something?" He just said, "No, honey, nothing is wrong. She is fine." Well, that just wasn't good enough for me. I think a parent just knows when something don't seem to be right when it comes to their children. So, I started questioning everyone the nurses the doctors etc. Finally, a nurse said, "Mamam, Dr. Howick is in the nursery do you want him to check her?" and I said "Please do!"
To make a long story short this little girl had many people confused. Although she had some of the facial characteristics of down syndrome, they were very very slight and in fact, she looked quite a bit like her father did when he was first born. Then about 10 minutes later the nursery pediatrician and my OB-GYN doctor came in and said that she did have the characteristics of down syndrome. Well, then they sent the genetics doctor in about 10:00 p.m. that night to discuss chromosomes and to show me a chart of chromosomes. Which I was not in any condition to see!
Every physician just didn't seem to give me any hope. One doctor even had the alldasidy to say to me "Well, I know you feel as though you haven't gotten an Olympic athlete or the prom queen!" Well, that just really ticked me off. I am not a selfish person and really didn't feel as though that comment was warranted. How dare anyone tell me what she is or is not going to do! For God's sake give her a break she is just a baby. When we finally got her diagnosis 5 long days later, the genetics doctor told us that most people that have mds don't even know they have it! She also said "When she gets older you and your husband will be saying 'those doctors are crazy'".
We were very devastated at first by her diagnosis. I cried for a solid month. Everytime my husband and I looked in the mirror we cried. There were times I even asked myself, "am I crying for her or for me?" Now, 5 months later life is completely different. She has won our hearts over and every person that sees her just falls in love with her. She will probably be on Broadway because she constantly looks at the lights! I think it's a sign they are just calling her name!! (Ha! Ha!)
Our lives have been so enlightened by this whole thing. We were devastated at first. I wish we could go back and know then what we know now. One of our main questions was "How mild can down syndrome be?" Well, I can tell you it can be very mild. Our little Karlee is now 5 mos. old and she has hit all her milestones ahead of typical development. She rolled over at 8 weeks old. She moved from one end of her bassinet to the other when she was only 1 week old. And she has been making all the down syndrome books we've read to be out and out lies! Karlee is our only child and we wouldn't change her for anything. She is absolutely beautiful, inside and out. I can't imagine her any other way. I know God gave her to us because she will enrich our lives. We can't wait to wake up everyday and see the world around us through her eyes. I hope that all new parents can put aside the diagnosis and look at your child just as a beautiful little baby! Love it and teach it. After all it is a privilege to have that opportunity. Take advantage of it. I like to flatter myself sometimes and I tell myself that God gave her to me because he new I could teach her and I was so lucky that he picked me and my husband for her! (Just a thought!)
Congratulation on the birth of your baby! Anyone is welcome to contact me!
When I first heard her cry it just didn't seem to be as strong as I imagined when I was pregnant. Even though I was under anesthesia the whole thing just seemed different that I had pictured. My husband held her first and then he brought her over to me. I thought the first time I saw her that her face just didn't look like I had imagined. When the doctors left I asked my husband I said "What's wrong with her, she looks like she has Down Syndrome or something?" He just said, "No, honey, nothing is wrong. She is fine." Well, that just wasn't good enough for me. I think a parent just knows when something don't seem to be right when it comes to their children. So, I started questioning everyone the nurses the doctors etc. Finally, a nurse said, "Mamam, Dr. Howick is in the nursery do you want him to check her?" and I said "Please do!"
To make a long story short this little girl had many people confused. Although she had some of the facial characteristics of down syndrome, they were very very slight and in fact, she looked quite a bit like her father did when he was first born. Then about 10 minutes later the nursery pediatrician and my OB-GYN doctor came in and said that she did have the characteristics of down syndrome. Well, then they sent the genetics doctor in about 10:00 p.m. that night to discuss chromosomes and to show me a chart of chromosomes. Which I was not in any condition to see!
Every physician just didn't seem to give me any hope. One doctor even had the alldasidy to say to me "Well, I know you feel as though you haven't gotten an Olympic athlete or the prom queen!" Well, that just really ticked me off. I am not a selfish person and really didn't feel as though that comment was warranted. How dare anyone tell me what she is or is not going to do! For God's sake give her a break she is just a baby. When we finally got her diagnosis 5 long days later, the genetics doctor told us that most people that have mds don't even know they have it! She also said "When she gets older you and your husband will be saying 'those doctors are crazy'".
We were very devastated at first by her diagnosis. I cried for a solid month. Everytime my husband and I looked in the mirror we cried. There were times I even asked myself, "am I crying for her or for me?" Now, 5 months later life is completely different. She has won our hearts over and every person that sees her just falls in love with her. She will probably be on Broadway because she constantly looks at the lights! I think it's a sign they are just calling her name!! (Ha! Ha!)
Our lives have been so enlightened by this whole thing. We were devastated at first. I wish we could go back and know then what we know now. One of our main questions was "How mild can down syndrome be?" Well, I can tell you it can be very mild. Our little Karlee is now 5 mos. old and she has hit all her milestones ahead of typical development. She rolled over at 8 weeks old. She moved from one end of her bassinet to the other when she was only 1 week old. And she has been making all the down syndrome books we've read to be out and out lies! Karlee is our only child and we wouldn't change her for anything. She is absolutely beautiful, inside and out. I can't imagine her any other way. I know God gave her to us because she will enrich our lives. We can't wait to wake up everyday and see the world around us through her eyes. I hope that all new parents can put aside the diagnosis and look at your child just as a beautiful little baby! Love it and teach it. After all it is a privilege to have that opportunity. Take advantage of it. I like to flatter myself sometimes and I tell myself that God gave her to me because he new I could teach her and I was so lucky that he picked me and my husband for her! (Just a thought!)
Congratulation on the birth of your baby! Anyone is welcome to contact me!