Living Trisomy 18 Miracles & Hope
Trisomy 18 wasn’t anything I’d ever heard of before Aiyana. So, when I heard that my second daughter, unborn, was diagnosed with T18, I didn’t know what to expect. The statistics were grim and devastating but I held on to the feeling that she had a story to tell. Aiyana is nothing short of a rare miracle. She’s defied more odds than I can keep track of. She was born alive at full-term, both things statistics said she’d never do. She battled congenital heart disease and had open-heart surgery to repair her issues. She’s conquered Hepatoblastoma cancer after liver resection and chemotherapy. She’s thriving and growing like a weed thanks to her feeding tube. Her epilepsy and seizures are controlled and managed. She celebrated her first birthday, unlike statistics said she would. But more than all that she’s experienced and conquered, she’s truly happy. She’s the sweetest, most loving and full of joy person I’ve ever met. She loves to watch and laugh at her silly sister; touch us while she’s laying next to us; giggle and hit her hanging toys; play with her hands like they’re the most amazing things in the world; and swing and pull on her feeding tube while smiling away. Right now, she’s working on sitting up and crawling. This almost-two-year-old may not be doing the typical things that you or I do but she is more full of life than all of us combined. She is so compatible with life, love, hugs, and experiences. I can’t wait to see what she conquers next. I know her sister and I will be right beside her cheering her on.
