Ashleigh

We were on holiday in London when there was a message on our mobile phone. We just thought it was a work problem of some sort, so left it and dressed up and went out for dinner and to the theatre.

When we got back we listened to the phone message and it was our social worker telling us to ring urgently.

We rang and it was the news we had been waiting for over the past eight years since we applied for adoption!

Through this time we had a little boy who was stillborn, multiple miscarriages, four attempts at artificial insemination and one attempt at IVF.

But still no success.

Now the social worker asked if we would give our permission for our details to be given to a young couple that wanted to give their little girl for adoption. With tears we said YES!

Then the social worker said, “THERE IS A BUT – THIS LITTLE GIRL HAS DOWN SYNDROME”

We knew nothing about Down syndrome, we just heard “baby”; a special little girl that needed a mummy and daddy to love her and care for her.

We were to meet Ashleigh and her birth parents on Thursday and bring her home as our daughter on the following Monday afternoon.

During that week we did not tell our families that we were getting Ashleigh. My mum had no idea that she was getting a grandchild.

On the way home from picking Ashleigh up, we stopped at the church we attend as mum was playing indoor bowls there.

We walked in with Ashleigh and the whole hall went quiet as I said with choking tears, “Mum, come and give your granddaughter a kiss and a cuddle!”

Since that moment my mum has been my rock and without her I do not think I would have made it. Motherhood is hard at the best of times but suddenly becoming a mother in the space of a week was very scary.

At first my father found it hard to understand why we wanted a child with a disability, so we flew him here from Australia. My father walked off the plane and looked in the pushchair at Ashleigh and with tears in his eyes said, “Now I know why you wanted her, she is the most beautiful baby in the world!"

Since then he’s been the proudest grandfather in the world, whipping out his photos of his beautiful granddaughter who has Down syndrome.

We met other parents at our local Down syndrome support group. These parents have remained friends and Ashleigh has grown up with many little friends with Down syndrome.

We have a special relationship with Ashleigh’s birth parents and her twin birth sisters. We have an open adoption and meet them at least three times a year.

We have never regretted adopting Ashleigh and it just amazes me when people say how much she looks like me. You can’t mistake that we are mother and daughter.

Ashleigh looks at me with her blue eyes, says mummy and gives me one of her sloppy kisses and I can’t put into words how much love and happiness she brings us.

I just thank God every day for blessing us with our daughter.