Mélanie, our Miracle Mélanie is a special six year old girl with all her qualities, strengths and challenges. She is our daughter, Justin’s little sister and Jonathan and Marc-André’s big sister. She is a niece, a cousin and a granddaughter. She enjoys going to school and playing with her friends. She loves books, drawing, singing, dancing, skating and playing with her doll. At the playground, she climbs by herself and swings very high. Her favourite TV show is "Caillou" and her favourite meal is McDonald’s french fries. She continues to develop and learn at her own pace, Oh yes; by the way, she has Down syndrome. Thirty-six weeks pregnant, the doctor informs us that our baby has Down syndrome and a rare leukemia-like blood disorder. With no guarantee of survival, we await her birth with sadness and uncertainty. Looking at other families, we don’t understand why we’re going through this trial. Why us? Where is the miracle we’ve been praying for? Our miracle is closer than we think. Born at 37 weeks, weighing 5 pounds and 1 ounce, she is small and her health fragile. During the first days, we’re afraid to love her. What if we were to lose her? But loving her comes easy. Soon we realized that if only for a day, a week, a month, a year or more our lives are blessed and changed forever. Our miracle is here. After being hospitalized for two months, we bring our baby girl home. The first year will be our biggest adaptation, with emotions of sadness, love, disappointment and acceptance. With uncertainty for the future, we decide to embrace everyday with love, patience and perseverance. We appreciate our new baby and enjoy every moment like all new parents. Melanie touches our lives and everyone she encounters. She is our precious daughter, our miracle, and we love her more than words can describe. With all her hugs and kisses what more can a mom and dad ask for? Brenda and Bertrand
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