Embracing Extra
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05/07/2026
To the medical staff who cared for Graham today: thank you for meeting him with compassion instead of confrontation. š¤
Today was ājustā ear tubes. But for a child who thrives on familiarity, routine, and predictability, medical environments can feel overwhelming fast.
And yet every single person we encountered adapted to *him* instead of expecting him to immediately adapt to them.
A nurse crouched to Grahamās level, copied his silly sounds, spoke softly, and made him feel safe before touching a single medical device.
Another met every yell, spit, and anxious moment with patience and warmth.
Child Life Services encouraged a āwalk and talkā because movement helps Graham regulate.
And our anesthetist joined us walking the hospital halls to ask questions instead of forcing Graham to sit still in a tiny room while adults talked over him.
No power struggles.
No rushing.
No shame.
No forcing compliance.
Just compassionate people taking the time to truly see the child in front of them.
That kind of care changes everything for families like ours, and you truly made a difference in our visit today. š¤
Thank you!
It might not look like muchā¦ but this moment felt big to me.
Grahamās first time rolling down a hillāand the joy, the determination, the way he just kept goingā¦ I couldāve watched it over and over again. š
Itās the little things that stay with you.
He signed āI am strongā before walking in.
And I needed that more than he did.
This week we started ABA.
Itās hope and heartbreak in the same breath.
This door holds a lotāsupport, growth, possibilityā¦
and if Iām being honest, a little grief too.
Choosing extra help doesnāt mean Iām not enough.
But some days, it still feels that way.
Down syndrome + autism is a journey Iām still learning to hold.
Today, we walked in anyway.
Seven years ago, Graham came into the world at 34 weeks ā already our second son with Down syndrome, but still a completely new journey.
Three days into his life he had duodenal atresia surgery. Then came nearly 60 days in the NICU, more appointments than I could count, strabismus surgery later on, and eventually an autism diagnosis.
It hasnāt been simple. It hasnāt been predictable.
But it has been deeply, beautifully his.
Graham does everything in his own way ā including birthdays.
This year he turned seven and he was so proud of himself. The clapping, the hand flapping, the pure joyā¦ it was his best birthday yet.
All the hard chapters are part of his story, but they are not the headline.
He is.
And I love being his mom. Always have. Always will.
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