Jason Kneen is the father of Rosie, a little girl with Down Syndrome.
He wrote on Twitter about what it is like to have a child with Down Syndrome.
His posts became very popular on Twitter, and the reactions were overwhelming.
We think it is worth sharing his and Rosie’s story. So with Jason’s kind permission, here it is:
“My child has Down’s Syndrome, what should I expect?” This. 100% this.
Also expect this! #wouldntchangeathing
Overwhelmed with the replies, likes and comments about this post and thread — and thank you to everyone sharing their own stories and photos here. A “quick” thread… 1/12
I was totally NOT ready for a child like Rosie. It was a shock when she was born and I’m ashamed to say I didn’t take it well initially. 2/12
Part of that was the matter-of-fact process that happens where you’re bombarded with documentation and booklets and basically “manuals” on “what’s wrong and going to go wrong with your child” 3/12
It’s devastating to hear how your child’s life has already been predicted and mapped out. All children are different — how can ANYONE predict their future? 4/12
Quickly I realised that ANY child can be slow to talk; slow to walk; have learning difficulties, and ANY child can be brilliant and wonderful and amazing. 5/12
Like any child Rosie has been through it — we’d been through febrile convulsions with 2 before Rosie was born, and whilst she avoided that, she suffered badly with Bronchiolitis and was in hospital for a couple of weeks with @binkyboobar in 2015. 6/12
Just before Christmas 2017 she was taken into hospital again with the same, but that also turned into Pneumonia— @binkyboobar was with her for the first couple of days but we had a newborn baby and it wasn’t practical to have them all in hospital. 7/12
So, I took over, as I can work from anywhere, and stayed with Rosie over Christmas and New Year — we all made the best of it with FaceTime and hospital visits from family. 8/12
Rosie I and became thick as thieves over that time and watched Moana together many times and EVERY SINGLE DAY — thanks
@TheRock for teaching me all the songs 🙂 — Rosie was so brave, and so strong. This is her, with assisted oxygen, watching Moana. 9/12
She met Father Christmas, and the Salisbury football team and just powered through it — with all the injections and tests and cables and pipes etc. She was amazing and SO brave. 10/12
Soon after she was back to her normal self. 😂 11/12
A year later and we had our Christmas at home and together and she continues to enjoy life, every day, and reminds us and ME how fun it all is. 12/12
Rosebud home from school, having her teatime and watching Moana, AGAIN.
@therock has a lot to answer for. 😜
