Proud mum:
“We hit the jackpot twice!”
When Maria
Belton was told her daughter,
Nancy, had Down’s syndrome, she was shocked – but she knew, without a doubt, that she could give her baby the best chance at life.
Because, just two years earlier, Maria had given birth to Joe, who also has the condition. Now, Joe, five, and Nancy, three, are thriving – and Maria says she wouldn’t change anything about her adorable children. Maria, 41, from the Wirral, says, “We’ve been told having two babies with Down’s syndrome is incredibly rare, but if I could have my time again,
I’d still choose Joe and Nancy just as they are. Our house is full of so much fun and laughter.”
After giving birth to Eleanor, now 17, Maria and husband Neil, 48, wanted to add to their family. But the pair struggled to conceive and sought the help of a fertility doctor. In 2008, Maria was diagnosed with severe endometriosis.
She says, “My consultant said we wouldn’t conceive naturally. He mentioned IVF, but as we already had Eleanor, we’d have to pay privately, which we couldn’t afford. We had no choice but to accept we wouldn’t have any more children.”
BONDED
Maria continued to suffer painful periods and planned to have a hysterectomy in February 2014. But, in January of that year, Maria noticed pain in her breasts.
She says, “The only time I’d felt a similar pain was when I was pregnant with Eleanor – so I decided to take a test. When I saw the positive result, I nearly fell off the toilet! I did three more tests, just to be sure. Neil cried when I told him – and Eleanor was over the moon.”
Maria was offered a test to detect if her baby had Down’s syndrome, but declined, as she already felt bonded with her baby. Her pregnancy went well and, in August
2014, Maria gave birth to Joe. Just hours after he was born, the couple were told that he had Down’s syndrome.
Maria says, “It felt like my world had fallen apart – I couldn’t stop crying. Doctors said Joe would develop slowly, and they didn’t know if he’d ever walk or talk.
“But Neil was pragmatic. He said we’d do the best for our son, and it didn’t change how much we loved him. I joined a support group for new mums, which made me realise Joe wasn’t so different from any other newborn. And regular check-ups with the GP showed that Joe was doing well and hitting all his milestones at the same rate as Eleanor had.”
When Joe was one, Maria was stunned when she fell pregnant again. She says, “I’d heard of one miracle baby after fertility struggles, but never two! We
WITH JOE AND NANCY, OUR HOUSE IS FULL OF SO MUCH
FUN AND LAUGHTER
couldn’t believe our luck.
“At 28 weeks, a scan revealed our baby was measuring small. But the geneticist told us the chances of having a second baby with Down’s syndrome was incredibly rare.”
Nancy was born in June 2016. Maria said, “A few hours later, our midwife told us that she had the physical characteristics of Down’s syndrome.
“I was surprised, but this time there were no tears. We were completely prepared, as we already knew what to expect with Joe.
“And the atmosphere in the hospital was so different, too. The midwives kept telling us how beautiful Nancy was. It didn’t feel like we’d been given ‘bad’ news.
LUCKY
“We just felt so lucky to have had two babies after being told we’d never be able to conceive naturally.”
When Maria was discharged with Nancy, the family of five fell into a routine quickly.
She says, “It was challenging at times, having two babies under three, but it had nothing to do with their condition.
“I feel so lucky to have had
Joe and Nancy – we’ve hit the jackpot twice!
“When Eleanor gets home from school, Joe and Nancy run up to her – they all end up dancing around the kitchen together.
“Nancy loves being the centre of attention, while Joe is happiest quietly watching Peppa Pig.
“Being a mum of two children with Down’s syndrome isn’t what I expected, but I wouldn’t change them for the world.”
By Kaya Terry & Kim Willis
● For more information about Down’s syndrome, visit Futureofdowns.com, an online community for parents