Christian's Story

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Images Captured by Misty Dawson Photography

Tiny Light Christian always has a smile on his face, despite the struggles he faces every day. He is a “low-key kind of guy” who enjoys spending his time in quiet and peaceful environments. He is very affectionate and loves when his mother runs her fingers through his hair as he falls asleep. He also loves relaxing in the pool and being in his Snoezelen room (a controlled multisensory environment). 

After a healthy pregnancy, Christian’s mother had complications during her delivery. Due to a lack of oxygen to his brain, Christian was born with cerebral palsy with spastic quadriplegia and global development delay. He also lives with a severe seizure disorder, scoliosis, and cortical blindness. Christian requires a feeding tube and reacts poorly to too much stimulation, noise, and even the weather. He requires constant care and supervision and needs someone to provide suctioning so he does not choke.  Because of this, it is challenging for him to leave the house with his family.

Last year marked a milestone for Christian, as he exceeded the life expectancy his doctors predicted. His health continues to deteriorate but his family cherishes every moment they have with him. Christian has had an incredible impact on his family and those around him. “He has brought a whole new meaning to life and has led us down a path we wouldn't have known if not for him.”

Story by Emily Harrison

Henry Lee's Story

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Images Captured by Misty Dawson Photography


Meet Henry! A Tiny Light born prematurely at 34 weeks on October 8th, 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