The Solsaece Series 3/4: Paul, Dad
(THE SOLSAECE SERIES 3/4: Paul, Dad)
On September 6th, 2015 at 9:22am our lives changed. It was meant to be one of the happiest days but ended up being the most distressing. They say things happen for a reason, what is meant to be will be. But when your beliefs are challenged nothing makes sense.
Early Sunday we rushed to the hospital, one month before “Solsae’s” due date. In itself, that was a shock for us but it turns out it was just the beginning. Solsaece Trinity Elise was born, I could not be happier. I held her as if I never wanted to let go, probably my subconscious was trying to tell me something. Soon after we got to see Solsae, the doctor came. The look on her face did not match the joyful feeling I had. She told us that Solsae had Down syndrome. It was difficult to describe how I felt at first, maybe emptiness. They say you can die from a broken heart; I am not sure you can, but it hurt. It was the reverse of dying, instead of flashbacks, you have flashforwards. I saw the future our daughter would not be able to accomplish.
Little did I know that it was Solsae that would lead the way, that would teach us the meaning of life, help us reach for the stars and dream again. It was on my first night with her, when the epiphany happened. She stretched her tiny hand and wrapped it around my finger. As if she was telling me “We got this Daddy”. It was from that point on I knew everything would be alright. She made me stronger and showed us a new way to live. She is our engine and Elian, our son, is the fuel that keeps us going.
Life through Solsae’s eyes is a brighter place. She inspires me to be a better person and to treat everyone equally. Her name means sunflower in Old English and she definitely shines. Down syndrome does not define her, she flourishes despite any challenges it brings, and this is the essence of her story. A story where we focus on the present rather than worrying about the future. A story that brought us down to our knees, challenged our beliefs and eventually made us rise again, giving us new hope.
The world is a greater place with Solsae in it.
#TheLuckyFew #TheLuckyFewFoundation #DownSyndrome #ThisIsDownSyndrome
