Giving birth after 40: How a single mother is raising a son with Down syndrome and feels happier than ever
Michelle has dreamed all her life of meeting “her only one”, marrying him, and having a baby. From year to year, blowing out the candles on the birthday cake, she said that this year everything would definitely work out. But the years went by, and it was deaf on the love front. The beauty did not have time to blink an eye, as she turned forty. “We can’t delay anymore!” she thought, and then decided to build her happiness without the help of a man. However, not everything went according to plan. This is a story about a single mother raising a son with Down syndrome, who brought meaning to her life.
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Michelle decided on a grandiose change on the day of her 40th birthday. Bathing in the rays of the sun on the beach of hot Costa Rica, where she and her friend came to celebrate her birthday, the woman resumed her old ways. “I will definitely meet someone this year,” Michelle said confidently. — And soon we will have a baby.” The only thing that bothered her was her age. Would that work? To which her friend replied: “If you think about it, you can have a baby without a boyfriend.”
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Surprisingly, our heroine has never allowed such a thought. So far, Michelle has thought about only one scenario: to fall in love, get married and have a baby. But here she is 40, and she is still single. “Maybe my friend is right?” she wondered. The next day, the woman was already surfing the Internet. That’s how she found out about artificial insemination. Having assessed her bank card, on which the last 5 thousand dollars were lying, she thought: “I hope that’s enough.”
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The chance of getting pregnant the first time was extremely small, and she had no money for a second attempt. Despite the risk of losing all the money and not getting what she wanted, Michelle still agreed to the adventure. And she did the right thing! She prayed to heaven for a child and finally got lucky. But soon the indescribable joy was replaced by anxiety. Doctors reported that her child is likely to be born with Down syndrome.
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Did this news stop our heroine? Of course not! After all, she had dreamed of a baby all her life, he was begged and desired. Difficulties did not frighten her. From that moment on, Michelle immersed herself in the study of the topic of “special children”. How to take care of them, how to educate them, and what can and cannot be done? All these questions did not give her rest. She wanted to be one hundred percent prepared.
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After many months of waiting, Michelle had a son, whom she named Matthew. However, before she could enjoy the first minutes with him, he was taken to the intensive care unit. The newly made mom was very scared, but soon she calmed down. “Your son is alive, healthy, and looks like you” the nurse comforted her. Two months later, she was finally able to take him home.
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At first, Michelle’s parents were scared by the idea that their 40-year-old daughter would raise her son without a father. After all, it’s not so easy, especially if you have a “special child”. In the end, she was able to convince her parents: “Becoming a single mother is my conscious choice.” These words touched mom and dad, after which they hugged their daughter tightly and thanked her for their grandson.
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Michelle admits that raising a “special child” can sometimes be very exhausting and difficult. Besides, she can’t quit her job, because of being the only breadwinner in their family. Nevertheless, she claims that she is happier than ever: “Now my life is full!”
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The woman has always adored hiking, but for a while, she had to give up her favorite hobby. At first, the baby was too small to accompany her and required constant care. Now he’s two years old — and Matthew loves hiking! Sitting on his mother’s back, the boy looks at the beauties with interest.
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According to our heroine today, being a single mother, she has experienced many ups and downs. This experience taught her to follow her heart, live without regrets, and go above and beyond the usual for her dreams.
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She also encourages others to share their experiences online. “Running a mini-blog is like therapy for me,” she admits.
