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As we met other families and learned how amazing these children are, we started to become very excited for the arrival of little Miss Gabi Goo. On January 12, 2007, little Gabi was born and you couldn’t have found two more excited parents. She was so beautiful and looked so healthy. However, she was born with a heart defect that required extra attention not only after she was born but even while she was in the womb. Once she was with us, though, she was our beautiful little angel. She amazed and impressed us every day. Her smile made everything better and her giggle was infectious. Micah is camera crazy and we actually got the first time she rolled over on video tape right before she went into surgery on June 26th.
Our daughter was a very strong fighter and a very determined little girl. Gabi’s willpower and strength was just so amazing. She was with us in our home for five and half months and in the PICU for two months. Gabi taught us and so many others more in that short time than most people could do in a lifetime! Gabi reached people in 48 states and 9 foreign countries. We knew she would do great things, we just didn’t know how quickly.
My wife and I didn’t know how strong our community was until our daughter was fighting for her life. We received more prayers, words of encouragement, and support from the community than we ever dreamed possible. People brought us into their lives, welcomed and supported us without ever meeting us. They didn’t judge us, question us or make us jump through hoops before we were accepted. How incredible is that, that we parents of these amazing children have adopted their personalities? Our children are supposed to be learning from us…right? Yet the lucky ones of us that have these incredible children learn so much from them. We appreciate the little things more; we don’t stress about the things we have no control over in the world; and, we love unconditionally!
I once had a discussion with someone about children and this individual kept bringing up the word “normal” children. If we want our children to be classified as normal, I wish they all had Down Syndrome - often they are happier, more loving, more carefree, more determined, less judgmental, harder working, and with all they have to deal with in the world, complain much less than those classified as “normal” children!
All of this is why Micah and I plan to stay very active in the community. Gabi fought so hard to be with us; she taught us so much in the seven and a half months she was with us. The least that we can do is continue to fight and make sure that her message continues to reach as many people as possible. We don’t want people to say in six months, “Oh do you remember that blog that we used to watch every day.” Everyone helped us through one of the toughest times in our lives. There is no way that we could ignore that just because we no longer have our child with the special gift of being 50.5% mommy and 50.5% daddy with us. To ignore any of that would be the same as ignoring what Gabi fought so hard to teach us.
So whenever you’re feeling like you just can’t go on and things seem too tough…remember the fight that a seven month old little girl put up just to be with us for a short time. Remember Gabi. (To read Gabi’s entire story, go to http://gabrielesheridan.blogspot.com) |
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Gabi Submitted By Jay Acker
Many of us have heard or said the phrase “I didn’t know what I had until it was gone!” When our daughter passed away on August 20, 2007…that phrase was something that never once came out of our mouths. We knew what we had, and we couldn’t have been more proud.
When my wife, Micah, and I found out that Gabriele Sheridan was going to have Down Syndrome, our initial reaction I’m sure was like anyone’s, “Why us? How are we going to be able to deal with a child with a disability?” We found out that this was a natural reaction when you first find out, and also one that quickly goes away. |
