Henry Lee's Story

Images Captured by Misty Dawson Photography

Meet Henry! A Tiny Light born prematurely at 34 weeks on October 8^th, 2010. He has a big sister, and loves to play. He loves getting raspberries (and giving them too!). He even laughs at his mom’s singing. She thinks he has a goofy sense of humour already. Henry is a strong and happy little boy. He has recently learned to roll over, and from there, he hasn’t stopped! He can get around the room in no time at all. 


The pregnancy with Henry was fairly normal, but the prenatal screening tests came back with a 1:8 risk of having a baby with Down Syndrome. At 21 weeks, his mother had an amnio and found out their little baby had Down Syndrome. At first, his mother was mad. She knew the risk were high (1:100), since she was 41 when she became pregnant. She asked herself, “Why me?” Over time, Henry’s parents were able to accept this information and move on. Henry also has Moderate VSD, which is a congenital heart defect.


Henry has inspired his family to celebrate the small milestones. Since Henry has developmental delays, his family doesn’t take “small” milestones, like smiling, laughing or reaching for a toy, for granted. They celebrate every milestone and marvel at his new abilities.


His parents know that his development will be delayed, but it is too early to know the level of his functionality. “It's okay to grieve the "loss" of what you think may be missing from your child's life, but, watch out - you will be amazed at how much you have to celebrate as well!” Henry’s parents hope for him to live a full life, with friends, school, work, and support from his loving family. They want Henry to be whatever he wants to be and to be proud of his accomplishments along the way – and maybe even compete in the Special Olympics!


“He has found a special little corner in my heart, set up camp, and has stayed there.  That's his home.” 

Story written by Laura Bellefontaine