Although we have come a long way in medicine and can now know much about our child before they’re even born, nature always continues to surprise us.
British couple Nicola and Todd Bailey were already the proud parents of a four year old boy, Lucas, when they received further joyful news…
Nicola was pregnant again.
“I did have a weird feeling as I got bigger a lot quicker than my previous pregnancy,” Nicola said, adding that she also felt very sick, reports Inside Edition.
But soon, it became clear that there was a very good reason for this: Nicola wasn’t just pregnant with one child — she was expecting twins.
Nicola’s water broke in just week 32, but skilled doctors thankfully managed to stop her contractions. Two little babies, Harper and Quinn, could thus remain in mom’s belly a week longer before they were to be delivered.
“As soon as I saw them both, my heart just melted. They were both so beautiful,” Nicola said.
Because the girls were born prematurely, they were quickly taken care of by a doctor. But just 30 minutes after Harper was born, the doctor came back into Nicola’s room and said, “I’m sorry.”
They suspected Harper had Down syndrome, something tests later confirmed.
Nicola and Todd Bailey, from Sheffield, didn’t find out their baby girl had the genetic disorder until she was born.
Nothing during the pregnancy had appeared out of the ordinary and the parents had no idea that one of their babies had an extra chromosome until she was born, 38 minutes after sister Quinn.
“Our family is unique and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Nicola said.
“Harper is Harper and Quinn is Quinn,” she added. “They are not the same so I try not to compare them, however hard that may be.”
Nicola, who’s a nurse, is now hoping to raise more awareness of Down syndrome, which causes, among other things, a variety of intellectual delays as well as some physical limitations.
”We get comments like ‘oh is she a Down’s baby’ or ‘I know a Down’s girl’. She’s not a Down’s baby, she’s a baby with Down’s syndrome,” Nicola says and continues:
”They still break the news by saying ‘I’m sorry’. I’m really not sorry. Harper is perfect I would not change her, her little smile lights up the room and she is who she’s supposed to be.”
Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition. Approximately one in every 700 babies in the United States is born with Down syndrome, or around 6,000 births per year, according to NDSS.
According to experts, the chance of having one twin with the condition is one-in-a-million.
Despite the fact that Harper and Quinn aren’t identical twins and Harper has Down’s syndrome, you can still see the tips of their little noses and lips are the same.
”The bond they share as twins is like nothing else and I can’t wait to continue to watch them both grow. Our family is unique and I wouldn’t change it for the world”, Nicola explains.
Today, Harper and Quinn are 19-months-old.
Nicola has also created an Instagram account where all fans and supporters can follow the family’s journey.
I’ve met several adults with Downs Syndrome. They don’t have a mean bone in their body. They are Angel’s on earth ❤❤
These beautiful babies have such a wonderful mom. Perfection is in the lovely gift from God!
Please share this article with your friends on Facebook to help Nicola spread her important message about Down syndrome.
