Expecting Mother Learns That Her Twin Sons Have Down Syndrome, Contemplates Giving Them Up For Adoption
Oct 09, 2020 by apost team
Idaho resident Julie McConnel was thrilled when she learned that she was having twins. She was healthy, and her pregnancy seemed otherwise normal. But when she went in for some routine tests, doctors discovered something.
Both of her babies, who were eventually born as fraternal twins in August of 2015, had Down syndrome. As a woman in her 40s, she'd known that her risks were higher than for other women.
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She and her husband knew they had to make a choice. Abortion wasn't an option for them. They could keep the babies, which might be difficult and heartbreaking. Or they could put the babies up for adoption, according to Inside Edition.
They already had four children to care for. They weren't sure they could handle two more with special needs.
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One day, Julie decided that she needed more information. She knew what Down syndrome was, of course, but did she really know what that would mean for her children? The couple went to a few events for Down syndrome children to see what to expect.
To be thorough, they also looked into adoption. They discovered a network devoted to finding homes for children with Down syndrome, the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network. Yet, they continued to feel majorly conflicted.
Then the big day came. Julie went into labor. She gave birth to little Charlie and Milo. As Julie gazed down at her babies, she says she realized that they were absolutely perfect in every way.
"You love your kids no matter what. When we finally decided that we weren't going to let our fear stand in our way, it was easy to make our decision," she told Inside Edition.
Now that the boys are a little older, Julie and her husband can't believe they ever considered adoption. The boys are a joy to everyone, as their family's Instagram account shows. The account, which features the two twins growing up together and is consistently updated, has more than 89,000 followers. To see Charlie and Milo's most recent updates, check out their Instagram.
What do you think about Julie's journey? Do you think you would have felt the same if you were in her shoes? Tell us your thoughts below. Send this article to your friends or family to see what they think.