“I literally felt like there was no air in my chest. I couldn't even speak.”
A Florida father and entrepreneur received an urgent phone call from his wife, who was pregnant with their fourth child and had just finished speaking with doctors, informing them that their newborn baby might have Down syndrome. That was my immediate reaction when I found out.
“I was sad. I was angry. I was frustrated,” Aric Berquist said, sharing his thoughts in a video. (See video at the top of this article) said in an interview on Fox News Digital.
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Berquist said by phone that he was “trying to stay calm” for his wife, who was “in tears” while the couple talked about the news.
But after he hung up, he said, “I just felt this voice, I heard this voice saying, 'Who are you to tell me what a blessing is?'”
Aric Berquist's son Asher, 9, tosses a soccer ball with his father at home. “That day, I really felt like a treasure had passed into my hands,” Berquist said of the day her son was born. (Aric Berquist/The Lesson)
The parent, a devout Christian, said the voice “wasn't angry. It felt powerful, it felt safe. And it was such a shock that all the hair on his arms grew back.” , it was painful,” he said.
He said he himself “just started crying.”
A subsequent ultrasound confirmed that the newborn baby had Down syndrome, and the couple prepared themselves and their older children in every way for the baby's arrival.
“He continues to teach me more about life and myself than I ever dreamed I could put into words.”
That year, his father said, “Usher was born, and I truly feel that a treasure passed into my hands that day.”
Berquist went on to describe the joy her youngest child has brought to her entire family, from the time she was born until now, including the recent wedding of her daughter, the eldest of her four children.
“That kid literally changed my life in an amazing way,” he said.
The Berquist family (center) attended daughter Abby's recent wedding. The youngest, Asher, is pictured in the front right. (Burquist family)
The couple's youngest child is currently 13 years old and in the 6th grade of elementary school.
“And he continues to teach me more about life and myself than I ever dreamed I could put into words.”
He “loves sports,” Berquist added. “He's going to play flag football and is already done with soccer. He loves playing sports with his two older brothers.”
“He’s there for everyone he interacts with.”
He said the bond between his son Asher and his brother Adam, his closest sibling in age, was “one of the richest and most beautiful things I've ever seen.”
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The two of them are very, very close, he said.
Berquist also said that their youngest child is “living the moment like no one else I've ever met.” “He exists, and He is available to everyone He interacts with.”
His father said he makes others feel “validated.” “And I'm starting to wonder if it's us, 'typical people,' who have the disorder, not him.”
“It's been really amazing to see how he's grown, just his growth at each stage,” Aric Berquist said of his youngest son. (Aric Berquist/The Lesson)
Berquist also told Fox News Digital today: “He's doing really well. It's really great to see how he's developed, just his growth at each stage. But… More than anything, it's really moving as a parent to see how he connects with his kids.” It was beautiful to see so many people involved in his life. ”
development changes
Heart problems are a concern for children with Down syndrome, and Asher underwent bypass surgery within three months of his birth, his family said. After a week in the hospital, he returned home to his parents and siblings.
Down syndrome is a disease in which babies are born with an extra chromosome.
Chromosomes determine the formation and function of the body. People born with an extra 1 experience changes in the way their bodies and brains develop.
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Babies are usually born with 46 chromosomes. baby with down syndrome Has a complete or partial copy of chromosome 21.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 5,700 babies are born with Down syndrome each year in the United States, and more than 400,000 people in the country currently live with Down syndrome.
Approximately 5,700 babies are born with Down syndrome each year in the United States, and more than 400,000 people in the country currently live with Down syndrome. The blue and yellow ribbon represents Down syndrome awareness. (St. Petersburg)
The life expectancy of people with this disease has increased dramatically in recent years.
In 1983, it was only 25 years old, but today it is 60 years old, according to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Denver, Colorado.
The most common type of Down syndrome is trisomy 21, which accounts for 95% of all cases. Less common types of Down syndrome include translocations (caused by rearrangements of chromosomal material) and mosaicism (when two types of cells are mixed).
Not all children with Down syndrome show developmental symptoms.
Experts say there is no known way to prevent the condition during pregnancy and the underlying cause is unknown.
One of the risk factors associated with Down syndrome is Mother's age. For a 25-year-old pregnant woman, the odds are about 1 in 1,250. According to statistics, if you are 40 years old, the probability is 1 in 100.
Strolling on the beach, father Aric Berquist said he cherished the “blessing” that came to his entire family when his youngest son was born. (Aric Berquist/The Lesson)
Down syndrome has both physical and developmental symptoms.
Physical symptoms may include a flattening of the face. I'm short. short neck. Small ears, hands and feet. According to the CDC, decreased muscle tone.
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Developmental symptoms, on the other hand, may include short attention spans, impulsive behavior, learning delays, and delayed language development.
Not all children with Down syndrome exhibit these characteristics.
“Walking through that day”
For Berquist, an important life lesson learned from raising her son was to be present.
“Today, try to stay grounded,” he said.
Therefore, “Walking through that day”.
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When there are challenges in life, he says, “When we go through difficult things, we are being purified. If we allow it and overcome it, it transforms us into something beautiful.” I did.
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Mr. Berquist also said, “Breathe.” that air. Engage with its beauty. Because that's your life. ”
Fox News Digital's Angelica Stabile and Ashlyn Messier contributed reporting.
