This Mom Gave The Most Powerful Speech About Having A Child With Down Syndrome

With so many news headlines and stories fighting for our attention online everyday, some the good stuff often slips through the cracks. However this doesn’t mean it won’t resurface months or in some cases years later.

Around two years ago, The Moth — a non profit storytelling organization — aired a heartfelt video of a mother with a unique story. “I had a perfect pregnancy,” began Bethany Van Delft. “I saw a specialist every week, though, because I was an elderly primigravida, which is a sweet way of saying they felt I was too old to be carrying my first child. I saw a fetal specialist every week.”

Van Delft then unfurled her story of giving birth to a child with Down Syndrome. From the doctors and nurses who would constantly tell her she had “the perfect baby” after her ultrasound visits, to spending months wondering what the rush of motherhood would finally feel like. Then the moment came.

“When the time came they told us to prepare for a very long labor,” she said. "But no, I pushed for 20 minutes and Lucia Esperanza was born” on November 10, 2011. This was also when it was revealed that little Lucia had Down Syndrome.

“That first few weeks is just a blur of tears and forms and doctors’ appointments and lists I made of all the things that were never going to happen now and all the things that she would never do,” she said.

The new mom was overwhelmed and afraid, she didn’t think she was cut out for raising a daughter with such an illness. “I slept on the couch with her for months with her skin on my skin so she could feel loved, but every time I looked at her all I thought was, ‘Where is my baby? Whose baby is this? When do I get to see my baby?’” she continued.

As noted by the Huffington Post, Van Delft’s timeless story resurfaced after it was shared by The Scene, a platform that shares videos for women. Since last week, the story has been viewed 1 million times.

Ultimately Van Delft’s story ends with wisdom every expectant mom needs to hear. “Once I stopped fearing being this kind of mom I realized that all moms cry a lot, all moms doubt their ability to raise this child, all moms worry about the future,” she said.