When Dan and Julie McConnel found out they were having twins with Down Syndrome, they nearly gave them up for adoption. But now, they’re so glad they didn’t and feel like they won the lottery!
When we dream of the children God will bless us with, we dream of them happy, whole, and doing great things in the world. No parent is ever prepared to learn their child will have special needs.
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When I learned my daughter was on the spectrum, it felt like a gut punch. I constantly wondered what her life would look like. Fast forward 23 years later and I have three kids who are on the spectrum. My thoughts echo Dan and Julie, and I am blessed and grateful for how uniquely they are created, how they see the world, and what they add to my world.
The fear of the unknown is the biggest hurdle when raising children with special needs. At first, Dan & Julie didn't feel they were equipped to care for twin boys with Down Syndrome. Instead of terminating the pregnancies, they decided to place their boys for adoption.
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"We were scared, terrified, and worried, and we didn't know if we could handle the responsibility," Julie recalled.
They had even found a family wanting to adopt their boys. But something tugged at Julie's heart and her husband had the same reservations too. One moment changed their hearts and lives forever.
Couple Keeps Twins With Down Sydrome
Julie and Dan contacted a Down Syndrome organization that showed them just what their twins would be capable of.
The fear of the unknowns that once gripped their hearts unraveled as love filled their hearts with anticipation of meeting their twins. Twins, Milo and Charlie are healthy, thriving seven-year-old boys who have changed their parents’ lives in so many incredible ways.
Love not only conquered the fear of Down Syndrome for Julie, but she is also now sharing her experience and life with the world through her Facebook page titled, ‘Milo and Charlie: Fearfully And Wonderfully Made.' Julie invites us to front-row seats to the privilege of witnessing some of God's most beautiful work created out of the unexpected.
What a powerful reminder all of God's children are fearfully and wonderfully made.
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"I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well," Psalm 139:14.
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h/t: UKLIVEINFO
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Charlie and Milo: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made