Luckiest Mum - Take a Break

From the most photogenic family in the world comes the story of Kellie and the journey her children have taken her on. When her sons were diagnosed with cerebral palsy and Down's syndrome, Kellie feared they'd never be the firemen and doctors she'd once hoped.It turns out, they'd be so much more.A gorgeous story about a mum discovering her children, sensitively told by Take a Break.If you'd like to share a story about your children, please get in touch today.You can read more about Kellie here...Kellie’s sons might never become doctors or firemen, but after crying tears for their futures, she’s now celebrating what makes them different... Kellie, 36, explains: You can’t help but daydream about the great heights your kids might reach one day, can you? I know I used to. But I’ve had to readjust my expectations for my two. When my marriage broke down, I met Dominic, 36, online. He was amazing with Isabella, then three, and Alexander, a baby. Pretty soon we were pregnant with our first child together and a year later, Lucas was born.  I knew straight away something wasn’t right.  Lucas was lying in my arms as they suggested he might have Down’s syndrome. I felt like everyone was staring at me, judging me. Every time I looked at him, I cried. We went home and I continued to cry. I cried for months. Even when I thought I had no tears left, I’d cry again. I cried for all the things I thought Lucas would never be able to do. When Lucas was two weeks old, the health visitor came to see us. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘This is the worst possible timing. But I think there is something seriously wrong with Alexander too.’ As Alexander had begun to walk, I noticed that he had a strange gait. He was a later talker and didn’t use his right arm at all. I had only known Lucas had Down’s syndrome for two weeks. Now I had to prepare myself for what might be wrong with Alexander too. ‘We think he has cerebral palsy,’ she said. After an MRI, the doctor explained that Alexander had a stroke while he was still inside the womb.‘They’ll never be firemen, or doctors,’ I cried to Dominic. I could only focus on the negatives and cried more tears. Then one day, Isabella ran up to me with urgency in her eyes.  ‘What about these freckles?’ she said, pointing at her arm. ‘Should we go to the doctor? If there’s something wrong, I’ll be like my brothers.’ While I would never wish for Isabella to have anything wrong with her, her childlike innocence made me think. Here I was crying tears of grief, sadness and worry over my sons, while their sister wanted to be like them. I taught Isabella to understand that she was lucky to have her health, but her desire to be like her brothers showed me that we were so lucky that our boys were who they were. Now, I wish I’d never shed a tear over the boy’s diagnosis. I wish I’d known how much joy was in store. My boys have taught me so much. I used to be sad, now I’m strong. I used to cry because I worried about their future. Now I am excited to see what they’ll do. It took me a while to realise, but it doesn’t matter if they don’t become surgeons or scientists. Every achievement, great and small, makes me proud. Cerebral palsy makes Alexander who he is and Down’s syndrome makes Lucas who he is - I wouldn’t change a thing.