His name is Collin Noah Johnson. He is my newest nephew (my 5th nephew to be exact). Collin made an early entry into the world at 31 weeks gestation via an emergency c-section. He was born on October 2nd and shares a birthday with his big brother Owen. The kids and I packed up very quickly and headed to Shreveport as soon as we got word that the c-section was taking place.
Collin came into the world screaming mad at 2 pounds 2 ounces and 13 inches long. He went straight to the NICU.
There is no way for me to even begin to tell you how small a 2 pound preemie he is. It took my breath away the first time I laid eyes on him. Pictures do no justice to his size. This is me and Collin when he was about 24 hours old.
I have always been pro-life. My faith and my God says in Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
I promise you, there is life in a womb from the moment of conception. There is life in the tiniest of bodies!
I am resting in the truth of God's word, that he knew Collin before he was in Amber's womb. God knew he would make Collin special and different. Collin would come here and change all our lives. You see God make Collin with one extra chromosome, he has Down Syndrome.
Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. Regardless of the type of Down syndrome a person may have, all people with Down syndrome have an extra, critical portion of chromosome 21 present in all or some of their cells. One in every 691 babies in the the United States is born with Down syndrome, making Down syndrome the most common genetic condition. Approximately 400,000 Americans have Down syndrome and about 6,000 babies with Down syndrome are born in the United States each year.
For us it didn't come as a shock. Amber's very first prenatal tests came back with red flags for Downs. Amber was under the care of specialists her entire pregnancy.While they chose not to have an amino they did have a DNA blood test that confirmed what all the other tests were saying. I am so proud of Jacob and Amber they have said from the start that God's will is good and never wrong. When a doctor suggested abortion they turned him down without hesitation. They refused the amino because no matter the results they would carry him to term. As soon as he was born the doctor told them he had all the physical markers and a week later when the DNA tests came back, they only made official what everyone already knew.
I am always in awe of God. He started preparing my heart for Collin's arrival last year. Our family participated in the Panhandle Down Syndrome Guild's Buddy Walk. The buddy walk is a huge fundraiser and awareness event! We got connected and volunteered for the walk through our youth pastor and friend.
This year while I was in Louisiana and Collin was 3 days old, James participated in the 2012 Buddy Walk.
Next year we will wear Team Collin shirts!
I have also in the last year connected with a friend from high school who has an 11 month old son with Downs(totally a God thing) She has been a great Christian friend and has reached out to Jacob and Amber and has answered our many questions and most of all prayed for Collin!
God has been in control of it all for a long time!
He has done so well! He has never needed oxygen support and has tolerated all of his feedings and has even gained weight. He has done so well that at 6 days old, his mommy held him for the first time.
God chose us to take care of and love Collin. He chose Amber and Jacob to give him life on earth. We know that Collin is here to bring glory to God through his life.
We are very blessed!
He has already made a huge difference in our lives.
One tiny life can make all the difference in the world.
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