Todd and I were told that it would be very unlikely to ever meet another child with Trisomy 12p. Well, the odds must be in our favor because today, I did!
Meet Brett, Drew and Laura Ketcham!
Unfortunately, Todd had to work today, but my mother and I were able to meet up with the Ketcham family in Atlanta at the home of Laura's parents. (This was not Mother's first meeting with a Trisomy 12p family. In September, while attending the UTC/Nebraska football game, Mother, my sister, brother-in-law and aunt were able to meet up with Kristin and Ellen Brown in Lincoln.) How did I find these people? FACEBOOK. Of all of its many cons, one of its pros is the Trisomy 12P Parent Support Page. That page has helped me to connect with numerous T12p families, but the families are all over the states and the world!
I confess, when I first found the page, I was a silent stalker! I never commented, but I looked at the photos and read the post, over and over! Anything to give me some real insight to what the prognosis was going to look like in the future. The paperwork we were given by doctors was full of medical jargon and research information that painted an ugly picture. The FB page gave me exactly what I was looking for: photos, not just statistics. And Drew Ketcham caught my eye...I saw the blue-eyes, the blonde hair, the fair skin and I thought, that is what Laik is going to look like when he gets bigger.
Long story, short: I made up my mind that I wanted to meet the other families. So, I sent messages, made phone calls, sent texts and emails, and today my first meeting happened. I was anxious, nervous, and excited all at the same time. Many thoughts crossed my mind, I was full of questions, but then I got there...
I had a bit of a directional issue (easy to do in ATL) which had me a bit flustered and LATE! But, once I pulled into the driveway, weight literally lifted off of my shoulders. Laura and her parents greeted us. It was like pulling up to family we hadn't seen in a while. I never once felt uncomfortable or out of place. We introduced ourselves, hugged and went in to meet Brett and Drew. And we found ourselves chatting in a thousand directions. We put the boys on the floor to interact and then we just enjoyed the company of another family like us. Brett stated it best, "we don't have to apologize, you are like us!"
We had lunch, we talked about everything from church with a special needs child to potty training to Disney World to beach vacations to schools to wheelchairs and vehicles.
Then I took out my camera and started snapping photos of the boys. It was interesting to watch them interact and check each other out. Drew demonstrated his walking skills, as well as, his pretty savvy wheelchair maneuvering skills!
I found myself watching Drew's every move. I was trying to mentally document everything about him so I could relay the information to Todd. It was exciting to see him communicate with his parents.
Laura commented on behaviors that Laik exhibited that reminded her of things Drew did when he was younger.
We swapped stories.
We "snuggied" the boys A LOT! I spent a precious few minutes on the sofa with Drew. He crawled up beside me and was so sweet. He then proceeded to take his shoes off, spin around, put his feet in my lap and get comfy. My heart was melting!
Laik showed off his best "if you're happy and you know it" claps!
And there was a lot of sweetness, with jibberish talk, that I would love to know the meaning!
It was a site to behold. Two boys, 5 years apart, with T12p just hanging out.
Their expressions in these photos could tell a story....enjoy them, I know I did!
It goes like this:
Drew: "and that is exactly how it happened"
Laik: "seriously, I can't believe it!"
Drew: "man, that is hilarious"
Laik: "don't tell everyone!"
Drew: "you always say that..."
Laik: "I know..."
I can hear those deep little voices saying, "I didn't do it!"
One happy boy! He was sneaking his way to try to escape out the side door!
I love this picture! It's like two friends, laughing and deciding when they will do this again!
It was a good, good day! We hope to meet up again....at the beach!
Laura and I agreed, "It is what it is!"
Here's to making more connections and meeting more new friends...like us!
