You will all know that over the last few months we have been worried about baby David.
He is not reaching the developmental milestones you would expect of a child of 11 months despite encouragement!
We have taken him for all kinds of health checks which have not shown up anything conclusive.
Sue and Billy, still worried, have taken him to a specialist centre in Kalifi Hospital where he has been diagnosed as having Down's Syndrome which, as your probably know, is a chromsome defect and which Sue had suspected.
Sue tells me:
"First he had an echo scan of his heart, which proved to be fine, he has no heart problems at all, but my fear that he is Downs was confirmed. The first doctor who examined him was a very nice man in his fifties, and he was looking at the palms of David's hands, I said to him you think he is Downs don't you, immediately he said yes. I know he was it is obvious for a long time. The doctor who did the heart scan also confirmed the diagnosis.
"She explained that many Down's children have weak hearts so often do not reach their teens, but she said David will reach adulthood if no complications set in. She looked at me and said: "Take him home..."
I said "Yes and just love him."
She said : "Yes."
Sue adds: " I cried, in writing this I am full of tears. I know I shouldn't be.
" He will be fine here in this large loving family, he is not ill or in pain. He can now roll over and he gave the doctor a beaming smile that really touched her heart.
"I am going to explain to the children how God has made David very special for us all to love and care for him.
"The doctor looked at his legs and thinks he might not walk, but we will see what he can do and love him until he is the best that he can be.
"This is his home, he will always be a Happy House kid."
As Sue says David is a very special boy and has been placed in our family for a special reason.
With us at the Happy House he will have the very best available to him and we will pull out all the stops to source the best resources, now and in the future, to get him walking, communicating and learning and to help him reach his full potential in life.
Special needs provision in Kenya, whilst greatly improved, is not as it is here, so it is a blessing that we are David's family.
We will access the best advice and help from anywhere in the world to give him a chance and , in doing so, will show others how fulfilling life can be for a child born with Down's.
David has 53 brothers and sisters who love him dearly, as does everyone at the Happy House and those of us, especially his sponsors, in our wider family. He has a place in our hearts and in our lives and we will work together to give him the most positive outcome and the happiest of lives.
If you do know of anyone who maybe able to assist us in anyway with resources, advice etc, please let me have their phone number or contact details - my email is elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net
We are already in touch with Richard at the Down's Syndrome Association here in the UK who is being so helpful and I will be contacting other professionals this week.
We do not know what the future holds for David, but we do know that we will do everything in our power to insure that it is the best that it can be.
