Support the Queen

My niece, Elizabeth, was nicknamed "The Queen" when she was born.

I am going to share a story about my niece Elizabeth that was written by her father (my brother-in-law) shortly after she was born:

The Child for Whom We Prayed

By Christian T. Walter

The doctor’s words hung in the air for what seemed to be an eternity,

“I have something serious to discuss with the two of you.”

My mind raced in the silence that ensued; was something was wrong with my wife…had the doctor’s seen something before closing her incision…was the bleeding she was experiencing concerning them?

“We are pretty sure that your daughter has Down syndrome.”

Ten words I’ll never forget that stopped time and erased any thoughts I had about the future in the seconds that it took for them to sink in. This beautiful little girl, my daughter that I had been cradling in wonder all night had Down syndrome.

Would she be dependent on us into adulthood?

Would she even live to adulthood?

Would she date…or marry…or have children?

Would we be able to communicate with her?

She was sleeping in my arms at that moment and as I looked at her little face in the crook of my arm, I was overwhelmed. She was so sweet, so beautiful, and so perfect.

What would I tell my family and friends? What would they say…or not say? How would I respond? I began to realize that my sadness and disappointment was rooted in MY thoughts and MY fears. In an instant, I had put limitations on her and her future. In my humanness, I had replaced my thankfulness for her with disappointment and sadness. She was the same little girl that I had been holding and in awe of prior to those ten infamous words the doctor had spoken to us.

Tears came to my eyes as I realized that I loved this little girl more than words could express. I was eternally thankful that she'd made it into this world after all the complications. Ten hours earlier, after twice losing her heartbeat, I had prayed "Lord, please bring my wife and my baby through this, but no my will, let Your will be done". I was now holding His will in all her perfection.

Well little Elizabeth and her friends and family have created "The Queen's Team" which is raising money for the 2009 Buddy Walk in Richmond, VA (where Elizabeth lives). The Buddy Walk was created to promote awareness, acceptance, and inclusion for all individuals with Down's Syndrome.

Last year "The Queen's Team" raised $10,144. Due to the state of the economy, this year the goal is $5000. The walk is on October 10th, 2009 so I will update you guys periodically on how the team is doing.

IF you would like to donate, please click "Donate" on the widget below. Even $1 would make a difference.