#teamBLAKE Down Syndrome Awareness

Hey there! I’m Lauren, and this is my husband, Steve, along with our awesome son, Blake. If we’re not already on your radar, or if you don’t know Blake’s six fantastic grandparents, you might be wondering why you’re reading this!

Here’s a little backstory…

One warm Friday night in June 2017, I was having a blast watching Steve and his friends play softball when, out of the blue, Blake decided it was time to make his grand entrance into the world. Fast forward about 10 hours, and we welcomed our beautiful baby boy, weighing in at 6 pounds 7 ounces, a whole two weeks early.

We enjoyed a blissful 28 hours together before the pediatrician came in and asked visiting relatives to step outside. Then she hit us with the bombshell: “I suspect your son has Down syndrome, but we’ll need to do genetics testing at Hopkins to confirm.” Wait, what? I mean, look at his eyes—they’re just like mine! Low muscle tone? Seriously? He’s as strong as a little ox! To say we were stunned would be an understatement. A few hours later, the hospital social worker popped in with a folder full of info and asked, “Are you OK?” Well, physically, yes, but emotionally? Not so much. We had just gotten a birth diagnosis of the most common genetic condition, and we were scared out of our minds.

I soon realized that all the fear and anxiety we felt was really about mourning the loss of the life we thought we were preparing for. It was time to get it together and really understand what lay ahead. Steve dove into Dr. Google—which can be a mixed bag, let me tell you. You can find both uplifting and overwhelming info in no time flat. I, on the other hand, took a different route. I sought out other parents who were on the same journey, and that’s when I discovered the Chesapeake Down Syndrome Parent Group (now known as the Down Syndrome Association of Maryland). The best advice I got was simple: “Take your baby home and LOVE him. He’s still just a baby.”

That’s when everything shifted for me. I went from panicked Mama Bear to a blissful first-time mom.

I learned that Down syndrome is a spectrum. There’s no comparing who has it worse; some folks with Ds face more medical challenges, while others might have cognitive or physical delays. Can someone with Ds do what others can? Absolutely! Will they lead fulfilling lives? Yes! Do they face more challenges? Yes, unfortunately. But that’s why Steve and I, along with our family and friends, are such passionate advocates for individuals with Ds, like Blake. In our tribe, nobody gets left behind!

These days, Blake is an incredibly happy almost 9-year-old. Everyone who meets him is instantly smitten by his charm and a smile that can melt anyone’s heart. He’s rocking 2nd Grade and is super into basketball, making videos, and Mario. He loves watching hockey with his dad, playing guitar with his Poppy, singing with his Mimi, reading with his Noni, chasing Papa’s cat, rocking out with his Pops, and baking with his Gigi. Music is totally his jam (he’s especially into rap, which he calls “dance music”), so it's always fitting to ensure music is incorporated into his annual t-shirts.



So, if you’ve made it this far, thank you! Thanks for reading our story and understanding that Down syndrome is just a diagnosis—it doesn’t define the person. Having Ds is no different than being diagnosed with asthma or allergies. You might have to adjust your sails a bit, but at the end of the day, you’ll still reach your destination.