By, Jennifer
Jasmine (Jazzy Roo) is my first of three grandchildren.
She stole the hearts of her Poppy and me through the weekly high-risk scans and pictures. Her big smile and sweet nature is healing. She is adorable when angry, her laugh is contagious, and her sassiness is loved. Jasmine is the best snuggle buddy and the nosiest gal around when a cell phone is involved!
Her favorite stuffed animal and sidekick is a rainbow llama named Charlie, and she loves to kiss and chew his nose. Jasmine is a curious little lady who loves to explore her room. She loves her family. Her parents are her everything.
When Jasmine received her clinical diagnosis, my late husband (Jasmine’s Poppy) and I received a phone call from Katie giving us the news. I remember everything about those next few moments. We hung up with Katie and immediately began to Google this diagnosis. As we quickly tried to process what we were reading and seeing, we had to take a moment to hold back the panic that seemed to be looming. In that moment, God provided us the peace and comfort to move forward calmly.
Within the next scroll, I came across the Foundation’s website and began binge-reading the information.
Most of Katie’s pregnancy seemed to be an exercise in “knowledge is power,” within the Foundation’s website, we found the information we desperately needed to gain some control. I passed the website on to Katie; it is still our family’s top resource.
As cliche as it sounds, Jasmine inspires the people around her to be better people. An example is how it often takes creativity and “thinking out of the box” to get her attention, to play with her, or to make her feel included.
Once you have had a chance to interact with her, you want more of her attention and play time, and you so badly want to see her included; therefore, your creativity begins to flourish.
Our family has learned the importance of acknowledging the difficulties and finding the bright side. When sickness and hospital stays happen, concern, anxiety, and sadness will be there, but so should faith, family support, and even joy and humor when they present themselves. We’ve
learned that schedules and routines are essential, but lazy, fun days are just as important.
Our kiddos can teach us many things if we are willing to learn.
I want the world to know that the uniqueness of CdLS turns heads and opens hearts. The beauty of these kiddos lies within their fighting spirit, love, determination, and sweet features. There are a lot of medical problems that can accompany a CdLS diagnosis. Managing any medical issue is a chore; however, the proper resources can change the game. We are very blessed to have such a close family. Jasmine has a network of very involved great-grandparents, grandparents, great-aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.
With Jasmine being my first grandchild, I have learned just how much a grandparent can give of themselves to and for their grandchildren.
I’ve seen how vital the grandparent-grandchild relationship is to Jasmine, me, and her parents. Not one moment spent with your grandchild is wasted. The reward is seeing how she lights up when she notices her people. Grandparents are a special part of any child’s network, and I know that my grandchildren are the grandest part of mine.
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