There are many special things about Marty. One of those things is that he was born with an extra #21 chromosome. The long title for this is Non-disjunctional Trisomy 21, or what is better known as Down syndrome. Down syndrome is not a disease or an illness. It is an unexplainable chromosomal occurrence in about 1 in 800 babies.
God's faithfulness in preparing us for Marty began even before he became a part of our lives. The desire to work with individuals with special needs had been in my heart since high school and inspired Martin to work as a staff member at a group home in Minnesota. All throughout my pregnancy, I was in constant prayer for our son. In my heart I knew he was going to do great things. I even wrote him a letter which encouraged him to "change the world." I knew deep down he would, I just wasn’t sure how.
Fast-forward to a crisp, early August morning—Marty’s birthday. Everyone who came to visit him told us how precious he was. We couldn’t agree more. I was overwhelmed by such a powerful love for this angelic bundle. He was perfect; our “little porcelain doll.” The most beautiful baby I had ever seen was in my arms and he was mine.
Our last day in the hospital, I was restless and felt overcome with anxious thoughts. To quiet my mind in the still hours before the dawn, I turned in my Bible to a bookmarked Psalm. I let the words of my favorite passage wash over me:
How precious [concerning] me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you... (Psalm 139:17-18a)I drank in more of the Psalm with delight. This passage of scripture has been my favorite for years, bringing me comfort and peace on countless occasions. I sensed that it was going to be Marty's life verse. I prayed for our little one and thanked God for his precious life.
Before leaving the hospital, a pediatrician came to do Marty’s last check-up. But the visit was anything but routine. She informed us that Marty had a heart murmur. She also informed us that Marty displayed physical characteristics consistent with Down syndrome and wanted to run some tests to be sure. It felt as if the room was suddenly closing in on me. Choking back tears of disbelief, I stepped away to regain my composure. The words of Psalm 139 rushed in:
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:13-16)
God’s faithfulness. "Ok, ok." I whispered, trusting that everything was indeed in God’s hands. A week later, the phone call came confirming Marty's diagnosis. Marty’s life verse, Psalm 139, looped in the background of my myriad of emotions. Fear, joy, worry, happiness, sadness, peace—a mixture of colorful cement pouring the foundation of love for our sweet child.
At first we weren’t sure what to expect but we knew we were about to embark on an amazing journey. At 14 weeks, Marty is meeting all the typical baby milestones. He is in the Early On program here in Michigan and continues to wow his teachers and family. And as for Marty’s heart, the doctors believe the problem may fix itself.
We are very proud of Marty’s accomplishments. He is a great blessing and gift. We love him beyond words and we feel very privileged to raise him. We see Marty complete in the person God made him. He is not handicapped or mentally ill; he is far from slow and he is definitely not ‘retarded.’ His life verse explains it all; Marty is fearfully and wonderfully made. We want the world to greet our son with as much enthusiasm and joy as we have. We look forward to watching how Marty will learn and grow and how we are going to learn and grow as well.
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